GROW IT! RAISE It! COOK IT!

G R A B A S L I C E O F T H E G O O D L I F E | JULY 2011

| 3.60

WIN
A GRAND DESIGN MINI BREAK

HERB P F O R E L A NT S V RE AD E RY ER
You on ly pa y P & P

FR E E

PLANT & FORGET

FOR LOW MAINTENANCE GARDENING

STRAWBERRY WINE

EASY TO MAKE

DIY JOBS
BUILD A 3-TIER PLANTER

SUMMER PICNIC FUN KEEPING HENS COOL

8 Picnic Food Essentials We Seek Expert Advice

FRESH IS BEST
Easy to Grow Tasty Salads

ISSUE 40 JULY 2011 3.60

STRAW BALE GARDENING

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STRAW BALE!
RaIsed beds and container gardening extend, improve or even make a plot for gardeners. The soil in growbags never contains weeds, seeds, disease or insects, and allows both drainage and moisture retention. Job sorted? Well, its expensive and leaves behind loads of plastic. straw bales provide the container/ growbag and the growing medium, making them an ideal growing solution. The height deters pests too, and you dont have to turn the soil or hoe and pull weeds. Getting the packed straw inside to compost quickly into a welcoming planting media is essential, but the resulting composted straw has all the characteristics of a good potting media, without the cost.

Never fail with a

Want a self-composting raised bed? Joel Karsten spreads the word on planting veg in a straw bale
and anything less will limit the crops you can grow and reduce yields. spacing is also important to avoid one row shading another. a space of 24in between bales is recommended, with matting or old carpeting between the gaps to keep weeds at bay and give easy access. straw bales have two distinctly different sides: a cut side, where the ends of the straw are aligned and sliced off; and a folded side, with the straw seemingly folded over in the baling process. Position the cut side upward (facing the sky) to allow easier penetration of water and fertiliser. The strings of the bales should be around the sides, which ensures that they remain intact to hold your bales together.

Plant 5ft-posts into the ground at each end of the rows of bales to stake them to the ground. This helps to hold the end-to-end bales tightly against one another and allows a wire to be stretched tightly between the posts above the bales, which creates a trellis to support vines or heavy vegetable crops. This is better than piecing the bales, which weakens the structure.

CONDITIONING THE BALE

PREPARING THE BALE

do this just before the last frosts in your area, but dont worry you can prepare and plant up your bale in June. You can place your bale on almost any surface, even a sloping one, as you should stake them to the ground. They will require about 68 hours sun each day,

Further Info
For further information visit www.strawbalegardens.com.

If a potted seedling is inserted into a raw straw bale the microbes in the bale may pull nitrogen from around the seedlings roots to feed their reproductive process, starving the plant of nitrogen, turning it yellow and killing it. always compost organic material before using it as compost around young, shallow-rooted garden plants: a process called conditioning, which allows the bales to compost briefly and naturally prior to planting them up. This takes about twelve days depending on temperature.

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STRAW BALE GARDENING

You will find many earthworms in the straw bales, enjoying the nutrient-rich

daY 1 after setting the bales in place, apply nitrogen-rich fertiliser evenly over the bale, half a cup per bale. Water the bale until waterlogged (with water running out of the bottom). daY 2 Water once more, again ensuring they are completely waterlogged. daY 3 add another half-cup of fertiliser per bale, and water again. daY 4 another water-only day. Youve guessed it full saturation again. daY 5 another half-cup of fertiliser per bale, and more water. daY 6 Water only! It will smell quite sweet and rather pungent, but this only lasts a few days. a quick check on the bales interior (by sliding a hand or thermometer inside) will show a slightly raised temperature and the launch of a microbial party inside the bale. This decomposition eventually generates significant heat, but for now a slight increase should be felt and smelt. daYs 79 a quarter-cup of fertiliser per bale, followed by a watering each day. daY 10 apply a full cup of balanced 10-10-10 type general garden fertiliser per bale. Many water channels will have formed in the bales, as water creates paths of least resistance. Try to force water into areas around the cracks to get fertiliser into the interior of the bales, preventing it from washing through these channels and quickly out the bottom. The conditioning process is now ended and the bales will be ready to plant in a couple of days.

decomposing organic matter. This is a five-star hotel for worms, and worms mean worm poo, which is good for plant roots because it is easily absorbed. You have now created nutrientand micronutrient-rich, composted organic matter that is slightly warmer than the ambient air and soil temperature. It is weed and disease free, full of worm poo and holds plenty of moisture but drains excess water easily.

TIME FOR PLANTING

When ready to plant your plugs, stab into the bale with a hand trowel. Working back and forth, open up an area large enough to insert the root mass without breaking up the roots. Remove a small amount of straw to accommodate the roots if necessary. Use a small amount of potting media to ensure the

Next Month

We look at growing mushrooms in straw bales with Sepp Holzer, a father of the permaculture movement and author of Permaculture: A Practical Guide for Farmers, Smallholders and Gardeners.

roots are well covered and the space around them filled. Water well. To plant and germinate seed effectively you need to create a seedbed with bagged potting media (not soil) on top of the bales. Form trenches for the seeds, and once planted, cover with a mini cloche or a small, temporary greenhouse to hold in heat generated from inside the bale. The covers also prevent rain from washing topsoil away.

AFTER THE HARVEST

Gardeners gold is what remains after you have harvested your crops. Remove the string and stakes, pile up the remaining straw, throw a few more cups of nitrate on top, mix in some water and let it cook over winter. The result is pure compost, and that beats a growbag!

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GROWING UNDER PLASTIC

Mark Gatter and Andy McKee are now harvesting the fruits of their labour, but beware: polytunnel produce relies on you for water, and without it your plants will be gasping

EvErywhErE in thE UK gets wind and rain, anytime, with little or no warning. inside the polytunnel its much warmer, and dry. warm, because thats what polytunnels do. Encapsulating the available heat, they make it possible to grow decent crops of cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines and so on, even in the north. Dry, because it never rains and that means you have to provide it. Dont forget, everything in the tunnel relies on you for water. in general its best to avoid wetting the leaves, but in some cases for instance when powdery mildew appears on cucurbits its actually a sign that you need to water the leaves more. Powdery mildew spreads in a dry climate, so keep a mister to hand and give all the cukes, melons, etc. a quick spray two or three times a day, if possible. if thats difficult, at least give them a spray in the evening as things start to cool off, then theres a chance the leaves will remain damp for a few hours. General watering, however, should happen early enough in the day to give the surface of the beds a chance to dry out before nightfall. that way its much harder for slugs and snails, the bane of the vegetable gardeners life, to get around. Even though the growing season is just about at its peak, meaning that all around you there are crops ready to harvest, its time to think about the coming winter and the hungry gap beyond. yes, i know why on earth would you want to think about winter? i mean, its July, isnt it? But if you dont start some new seeds off this month, and

JULY

The polytunnel in

General waterinG, however, should happen early enouGh in the day to Give the surface of the beds a chance to dry out before niGhtfall

continue into next month, you wont have a winter crop at all. Any seeds you sow after the middle of August are unlikely to be big enough to pick from over the winter. So get them started right now. Starting seeds in spring is one thing. its usually not hot enough, even in the tunnel, to dry seed pots out very fast. in July its altogether a different matter, and forgetting about them for just a few hours can spell disaster. if you have crop bars running across the tunnel on each hoop its easy to hang up some staging but the higher you put something in the tunnel, the hotter it becomes. Some crops wont mind the heat, but others will be continually gasping

for a cooler climate and some shade. however, hanging the staging lower down might shade the plants beneath or continually get in your way and fresh seedlings are just what slugs and snails love, so if you put seed pots directly on the ground, they might eat the lot. So, its not straightforward. remember, if your seedlings get off to a bad start you cant expect much of a return. its worth putting a little thought into what conditions will benefit them most. if you have a cold frame to give them a bit of shade, or somewhere inside the house where you can start them off, so much the better.

AUBERGINES

these just dont do well outside, and a polytunnel (or greenhouse) is essential. Aubergines are picky, and unless they get the conditions they want youre likely to end up with great-looking plants that produce only flowers. instead of

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Elephant garlic, left to cure for a few days prior to a final clean and trim.

Be sure to keep plants well picked, because if even a single cucumber is left up there, the entire plant will stop producing. Pick them, eat them, and hand them out to family, friends and neighbours. Even learn to juggle with them but dont leave them on the plant.

GARLIC AND ELEPHANT GARLIC

Above: By July, inside the polytunnel, everything is growing incredibly fast. Left: A polytunnel, together with outside beds, is an unbeatable combination for the vegetable gardener.

COURGETTES

developing into fruit, these either dry out and drop off or go mouldy, and then drop off. Aubergine flowers mould really easily and quickly, so if fruit does start to develop, clean away any of the remaining flowers as soon as possible. Key to fruit development is ventilation. Cut away any leaves and side-shoots that may prevent the flow of air right through the plant, and avoid any overlap with adjacent crops.

while these grow perfectly well outside during summer, you could be enjoying courgettes a month early if you grow one in a polytunnel, where it will continue bearing until november, possibly even December long after the outside plants have died back.

CUCUMBERS

A summer fruit that doesnt freeze, doesnt keep for long, and is best when absolutely fresh, cucumbers (along with sweetcorn, tomatoes and runner beans) are one of the most eagerlyawaited gardening crops in the UK.

Tamra cucumbers an heirloom variety thats very hard to find.

Although theyre big plants, I always try to find space in the tunnel for at least one courgette.

if you are growing garlic or elephant garlic in the tunnel, it should begin to yellow and die back sometime in July, as its energy is diverted to the developing bulb. if so, theyre ready to harvest. Both varieties benefit from reduced watering for a few weeks beforehand, as this prevents the bulbs growing again instead of clumping up. this is an excellent reason for growing them in the tunnel rather than in the variable weather outside. Elephant garlic puts out a flower stalk, usually in early May (which should have been snapped off as soon as it was noticed), and dies back more slowly than regular garlic. the two plants are actually distant cousins, elephant garlic being a member of the leek family. Carefully lift the bulbs and remove larger clumps of earth by hand. Smaller clumps and the roots are best left until the bulb has dried off, then a light brushing cleans them up nicely and a quick snip with the secateurs removes both the roots and any excess stem. A big elephant garlic bulb can weigh half a kilo. Set the trimmed bulbs somewhere warm and dry to cure for a few weeks before storing, either in braids or onion bags, in a cool, dry, frost free, dark place. well stored, they should keep well into the following spring and possibly beyond.

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GROWING UNDER PLASTIC

STRAWBERRIES

these shouldnt require much in the way of attention during July, aside from regular watering and feeding. Pick the fruit when it reaches a decent size, and remember that the outer wall becomes thicker as the peppers grow. if you leave them on the plant they will eventually turn red (or yellow), and the flavour becomes sweeter. Delicious!

if you have some day-neutral (or everbearing) strawberries planted in the tunnel, you should allow them to start producing fruit around the beginning of this month. An outside plot of June-bearers will provide a good crop through the first or second week of July, and picking the flowers off day-neutral plants until then conserves their energy for later. Once the Junebearers are done, the only fresh berries youre likely to get will be from dayneutral tunnel plants, as berries mould very quickly outside if the weather turns damp. in the tunnel they can stay nice and dry, and provide you with a continuous crop through november.

SWEET PEPPERS

WHATS GROWING

TOMATOES

At last! Fresh tomatoes, probably the most popular tunnel crop in the UK. And, while July will see the earliest fruit for most of us, if you were able to sow in February you might have started picking in June. Smaller varieties tend to be earlier, so its a good idea to have a couple of cherry plants coming along. Be sure to nip out side-shoots, and, as with aubergines, beware of letting the plants get too leafy. they need really good air circulation or youll find the whole lot gets blight if the weather turns damp later on. tomatoes are hungry plants and need feeding right through the season. Keep them supported, well watered and fed, and theyll reward you with more tomatoes than you know what to do with.

At this time of year, everything is growing, including all the weeds but if you want to get a start on your winter crops, its time to sow modules of beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, coriander, daikon, fennel, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions (Japanese varieties, which overwinter to give you a crop beginning in May next year), pak choi, rocket and turnip.

Strawberry halves ready to be dried, so that the taste of home-grown strawberries can still be enjoyed in the middle of winter.

WHAT TO HARVEST

Aubergines, broccoli (sprouting), cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, coriander, courgettes, cucumbers, daikon, dwarf French and French beans, fennel, garlic and elephant garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, pak choi, peppers, radish, rocket, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, sweetcorn and tomatoes.

USEFUL TIPS AND TRICKS

not so much a tip or trick, more the icing on the cake: if your polytunnel has enough room, get a hammock. youll love it! After all, this gardening lark is hard work

SWEETCORN Another great summer crop, sweetcorn, fresh from the plant, is a rare treat. youll never get anything even close to it from a shop, because as soon as sweetcorn is picked, the sugars in it start to convert. Sweetcorn is a particularly good choice for growing in polytunnels. not only do they get much-needed protection from the weather, theyre finished and out of the ground just when you need the space for winter crops. A big, hungry plant, it likes plenty of compost and some added bonemeal before planting. wind-pollinated plants such as sweetcorn may need a little help in the tunnel. when they flower, give the stems a gentle shake every day to spread the pollen around. Every one of those silk tassels on the end of the cobs leads to a kernel, and they all need pollinating. Cobs are ready to pick when the tassels are turning brown. test by pulling the leaves back a little and push your thumbnail into a kernel. if the juice is just slightly milky and tastes sweet, its ready to eat. if you leave them too late, youll get a mouthful of starch a terrible waste!

VEG OF THE MONTH

Leave peppers on the plant to turn red as they ripen.

Tomatoes from your own garden always taste far better than anything you can buy.

Further info
Visit Mark and Andy at http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk for info on self-sufficiency.
Text Andy McKee & Mark Gatter 2011. Images Andy McKee 2011.

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PLANT AND FORGET

HARDER!
Lets face it, this is the busy gardeners dream: a crop, or better still a group of crops, that can be put in the soil as seeds or small plants and left alone until it is time to gather a bounteous harvest. surprisingly, there are a number of crops that can actually be grown in this casual manner, and there are others than can cope with a regime of minimum effort from the gardener. OK, yields may be a bit lower than the experts claim, and the plot will rarely look pristine, but harvests based on minimum effort are possible if the right mindset is adopted. Before looking at specific examples of crops, we need to be clear on the basic thinking required. in simple terms, we, the gardeners, need to make it easy for the plant to succeed. so, firstly we need to make sure that the growing conditions are really good. since we are not planning to add any fertilisers during the growing season, we need to make sure that the soil is in really good shape first. i believe in the use of large quantities of bulky organic matter (i.e. home-made compost and rotten, animal manure) added to the
Above: Tomatoes grown the easy way. Right: Harvesting Jerusalem Artichokes.

Grow smarter not

tim Wootton sets out a strategy for Growers Nirvana as he explains the plant and forget method of gardening. Not quite a free lunch, but it comes close

soil between growing seasons. this will release its nutrients slowly and will also aid the soils ability to retain moisture another requirement of low-effort gardening. for most of us, achieving totally weed-free soil prior to planting is a fantasy, but it is important to get out perennial weeds, as a newly planted

young crops will always have difficulty competing with established villains like couch grass and bindweed. the other aspect of ensuring good growing conditions is to plant out, or sow, only when the weather offers a reasonable chance of success. We are not going to succeed with tender

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Above: Globe Artichokes, a great Plant for planting and forgetting. Left: Self Seeding Chard. Below: Asparagus, a Perennial but needs work.

crops like courgettes and sweetcorn if we leave them to their own devices in april, when night-time temperatures fall dramatically, and chilly winds are common. so the solution is to leave planting out until the weather really has warmed up. Living as i do in the south west of england, this usually means mid

May, but further north it may be wise to wait even longer. the other point about planting out young plants is to make sure that they are very healthy and are growing strongly before they go out. the only way of doing this is to plan the activity carefully. My records show that by raising seedlings on the windowsill i can have good, large (but not pot-bound) courgette seedlings in around a calendar month, so i plan my sowing for mid april. My timings also allow at least a week of moving to pots outside in the daytime to harden off before planting. the key point is that if crops are going to fail they are mostly likely to do so in their early stages, shortly after planting. if we can get them past this point theres a good chance of success with no further intervention. ive talked a lot about planting out seedlings rather than sowing seeds in situ. this is because i see the chance of survival of a strong, healthy transplant as being much greater than that of a tiny seedling: one slug or snail can decimate a whole row of newly emerged seedlings in a single night! so, with the exception of a few specific crops ill come to later, i regard plant and forget as just that, plant rather than sow. By talking of planting i include crops grown from

tubers, which are excellent subjects for this approach, as tubers tend to send up such strong, quick-growing shoots, which rapidly outcompete the pests and weeds. One final aspect that should influence our thinking is the avoidance of and planning out of problems within our growing system. if we normally spend a lot of time combating pests and disease, the plants will die if left to their own devices if we havent first worked out a way around such problems. for example, the biggest problem with growing potatoes in the UK is generally potato blight, a fungal disease that will ruin unsprayed crops in late summer. if we are going to grow as plant and forget, we need either to grow earlies (first or second), so that we can harvest before blight strikes, or grow one of the few blight-resistant varieties. With blight taken care of, potatoes make an excellent plant and forget. the soil can be ridged slightly at planting, much as the commercial grower does, and the crop left untouched until lifting time. the traditional practice of earthing-up may increase yields slightly, but when time is short, just plant and forget. Jerusalem artichokes, the only other common tuber crop in British gardens, is even more suited to the plant and forget approach. it appears not to suffer from any common pest or disease, and so can be left in the ground throughout the year. it is planted in spring in order to yield a crop the following autumn or winter. if a few of the tubers are left in the ground at harvest they will

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PLANT AND FORGET

reproduce during the next summer and a new crop will soon be available. this cycle can be maintained almost indefinitely, provided that the majority of tubers are removed each year to prevent overcrowding, and that the odd barrow load of compost is added to the artichoke patch every year or so. One other annual crop ive managed to grow on a continuous basis, almost as if it were a perennial, is leaf beet or chard. if this is sown in spring and the leaves cut throughout the summer, the plant will usually survive its first winter, provide lots of leaves in its second spring, and then send up flower spikes in the second summer. ive taken to allowing a few of the plants to flower and self-seed back into the plot. i find the seeds are viable, and a new crop of plants emerges quickly with no effort from me. i simply remove the ones that have spread too far, and harvest the others as i need them. i think my current plants are the third generation, but they appear to come more or less true to the originals. i assume i must have used a non-hybrid seed in the first place, but to be completely honest i cant find a record of which one i used. still, experimenting with this crop, if its one you like to eat, could be a lot of fun. true perennial crops could also lend themselves well to plant and forget. i find that globe artichokes come back for a number of years with no effort from me. these statuesque plants are vigorous enough to outgrow the weeds, but can be killed off in harsh winters. We use the odd globe artichoke from time to time, but its not the sort of crop most of us want to fill the plot with. asparagus, on the other hand, is a valuable early-summer crop, which will crop year after year without too much effort from me. i do find, however, that quite a bit of work is needed to keep the asparagus bed free from weeds. as i wont use weedkillers on it, ive yet to find a way of making it truly plant and forget. One crop that many gardeners lavish more time and effort on than anything else is tomatoes. to call my tomato growing plant and forget may be stretching things a bit, but i think im getting close. My approach is firstly to select a bush variety and to allow it enough space to sprawl. Because of this i dont have to tie it to canes or trim shoots. Obviously, tomatoes like a lot of watering and feeding. to try and get round these challenges i grow them in the ground rather than in pots or growbags, to allow the maximum possible root space. i also prepare the ground very well with loads of muck etc., and water

Above: Self Seeding Chard. Below: Second early potatoes grown in ridges.

it to excess. the seedlings are planted out when quite large, and a thick straw mulch is added at planting to hold in the water. i have to confess that occasional further watering is still required, particularly when i use this approach in the polytunnel, but compared to regular garden tomato production, it is almost plant and forget. the mulching technique to reduce water loss and cut out the work is also very useful when growing courgettes, marrows and pumpkins. all of these cucurbits have a high demand for water, but it is amazing just how well they can fend for themselves if grown through a mulch. i prefer to use straw or even a sandwich of cardboard first, then manure and then straw on top. these organicstyle mulches work well at holding the existing water in, but allow in further rainwater as well. Many growers like to grow this type of crop through holes cut in plastic sheets, but this approach keeps out much of the rainwater and may require irrigation. ive also had young plants eaten off by slugs hiding under the plastic, a problem that ive not noticed

with straw (i cant claim to know why). as for planting and forgetting until harvest, all these crops are well suited. the only real difference is that harvest for courgettes needs to come about every 23 days in good weather, while marrows and pumpkins can be harvested at your leisure. the idea of french beans as plant and forget may appear a little odd, but it can be made to work. i sow these directly into the soil using quite large quantities of soaked, chitted seed. the idea is to get them off to a really quick start. if i sow quite a lot closely spaced it doesnt matter if i lose the odd plant. these beans are a bit like the courgettes in that they really need picking every few days, which isnt a reality for me, or at least, isnt for long. so, after a modest crop of green beans for the table, i leave the plants alone to give me a crop of beans to dry for use in winter chillis and the like. to keep the work down i use dwarf varieties (canadian Wonder this year). However, if constructing a bean trellis isnt considered outside plant and forget, theres no reason why climbers shouldnt do even better. i hope these thoughts have provided a few ideas on how we can all be working towards the gardeners Utopia of bounteous crops of great food, without becoming a slave to the soil. My ideas have come from my limited experiments, and im sure i have only scratched the surface of the opportunities out there for the imaginative grower. so why not break with some of the traditions and find better and easier ways of working? Have fun trying!

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IN THE GARDEN

ExcITING SAlADS
For me, a salad must consist of mainly raw ingredients, and I am amazed how often I come across recipes that include hot, cooked things. avoiding them is one of my rules. another is that salads should vary from day to day, although the main ingredients may not change. I serve salad on almost every day of the year, and as a keen kitchen gardener and cook, can guarantee that most of the ingredients are home-grown.

How you present a dish is as important as what you include in it, says elisabeth arter, as she reveals her ideas for tempting, tasty salads

Through all the warmer months of the year it is not difficult to produce fresh lettuce, and these days there is a wonderful choice of different leaf types and colours. Loose-leaf types such as Salad Bowl and Lolla rossa are especially good for use after midsummer, when it is not so easy to produce good, firm-hearted lettuce. The secret of maintaining a steady supply without gluts and gaps is to sow a small amount of seed every three to four weeks, and to make sure that the soil around the plants roots is not allowed to dry out. Ive a liking for packets that include several varieties such as Thompson & morgans Ultimate mixed, which gives an interesting choice of leaves. Without any heat in my greenhouse I reckon to pick ripe tomatoes from quite early in July until well into autumn, and for varied salads I grow varieties with large and small fruits in both red and yellow. The cherry-sized fruits look great in a bowl of mixed salad, while a large beefsteak thinly sliced with chopped herbs scattered liberally over the top is splendid as an accompaniment to cold meats. If you dont have a greenhouse, grow outdoor tomatoes against a southfacing wall, as the warmth from a sunny brick wall will allow slightly earlier planting. Cucumber is the other most popular summer salad ingredient with most people, and to be successful in producing

SUMMER FAVOURITES

VEGETABlES, RAW AND cOOKED

high quality fruits over a long season I recommend the so-called indoor/ outdoor varieties such as Swing and Tasty King. For me, they do very well in a walk-in polytunnel, and again I aim to start harvesting them very early in July and go on well into autumn. If you like to try something really different in the open garden you could grow the cucumber Crystal apple. With abundant oval to round fruits that become a deeper yellow as they age they are good to munch whole. Some midsummer vegetables are delicious eaten raw in small quantities mingled with more conventional salad stuffs. Young, tender green peas are especially tasty, and small new carrots can be eaten whole or sliced, while the heart of a cabbage can be finely shredded and used as a salad base if lettuce is in short supply. Shallots should be ready to harvest by July, and can be

thinly sliced, or the small bulbs can be simply halved or quartered. Sweet peppers sliced thinly add colour and flavour during late summer. Baby beetroot are also very good raw if grated finely, but because they will colour everything they touch I never include them with other plant material. Instead, I mix the grated beet with natural cottage cheese or yoghurt to serve alongside the main salad. Beetroot is more often cooked and is delicious eaten that way, but again is better served away from other salads to avoid discolouring them. I enjoy cold, cooked runner beans in a salad, and when they are plentiful I often cook a surplus for my midday hot meal, so a few can be left cold for my evening salad. Cold new potatoes, too, are a must for summer salads, and these days there is a wide choice of so-called salad varieties, including rHS award of Garden merit holders Charlotte and Lady Christl, both of which are recommended for use in this way.

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FRUIT

Small amounts of fruit mix in very well with salads. alpine strawberries are perfect for garnishing a mixed salad, while their larger cousins can be cut into quarters and used in the same way. raspberries are best sprinkled over a salad just before serving, and larger ripe blackcurrants should be used sparingly, as some may not enjoy eating them raw. Dessert cherries or ripe morello acid cherries blend well into salads, but ideally the stones should be removed first.

FlOWERS

edible flowers can make even the dullest salad look exciting. orange or yellow calendula petals and those torn from bright nasturtiums are especially good for livening up a green salad, and nasturtium leaves can be torn up to include in this. red, pink or yellow rose petals gathered just before the blooms drop make a pretty garnish for a bowl of mixed salad if you are

entertaining, and smaller viola and pansy flowers can be scattered whole over a salad just before serving.

HERBS

mixed salad, and use pale bluemauve rosemary flowers in the same way. Finely chopped mixed chervil, parsley and fennel leaves can be scattered liberally over a salad made mainly from lettuce, and I use whole sprigs of mint generously in the warmer months, and also buckler-leaved sorrel. The feathery blue-green foliage of dill is especially good with cucumber, and basil is always a must with tomatoes.

A cOMPETITION FOR YOUNG cOOKS

I regularly raid my herb garden for the salad bowl, always going for young, tender leaves as well as some of the blooms. Several herbs can be chopped and mixed together, or favourites used alone. Chives provide leaves with a mild onion flavour, plus mauve flowers for garnishing. Bright-blue borage flowers, beloved by bees, make a good contrast to the main ingredients if scattered over a

Set your younger children and their friends a competition making salad faces, and they will have great fun helping to prepare a meal. Use a slice of cold, cooked ham, or processed cheese cut into a face shape, then give an assortment of salad ingredients to decorate the face. Curly lettuce makes great hair, and all kinds of other things can be used for eyes, eyebrows, mouths, noses, and collars or necklaces.

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IN THE SHED

In the Shed and on the Allotment

What a prolific time July is! it seems that almost every meal i eat comes from the plot, and is the result of my own hand. Much of my time seems to be spent harvesting, but that is a fair payback for those long, busy days not so far gone. the runner beans and climbing french beans have romped to the top of their eight-foot cane and are producing lots of tender, fleshy pods. picking regularly gives greater crops, so dont neglect this pleasurable task. it is impossible to eat all of these, and despite having lots of needy friends i still l have some to spare.

terry Walton enjoys a pungent rhubarb dessert with the cabbage whites and brings out the water cannon for the aphids
this is a good time to think ahead to those barren days of winter and freeze these little beauties whilst they are still young. My days of blanching are over and these are simply washed, cut, and bagged! there is no more pleasure than taking a bag of these from the freezer and releasing that taste stored in the sunny days of summer past. to extend my picking season i make room for a late sowing of some more runner beans. there is no doubt in my mind that the climate is changing and the season of summer is extending way into october. Sown out in July, a short row of these will give me even more of those young tender beans when most other crops are ended. there is nothing in my book that beats a plate of cooked runner beans with a knob of butter and a chunk of fresh bread. a gardeners dream! Being an organic gardener this is the time to be most vigilant, as all those pests are waiting to take more than a share of our produce. the silent predator is the beautiful cabbage white butterfly. She gracefully skims around the sky sniffing out members of the brassica family. having found them she deposits a clump of little yellow eggs on the underside of

the leaves. if you look carefully you can find them and rub them off. the best preventative, however, is to disguise the smell of the cabbage family. to this end i make use of my rhubarb leaves for making an evil-smelling brew. as i harvested my rhubarb earlier in the season the leaves were deposited in an old dustbin with a lid and they have been brewing there ever since. Now is a good time to apply it neat to your members of the cabbage family to ward off these marauders. they certainly dont like this evil smell!

Frog on the edge of pond.

Blasting greenfly with the hose!

Above: Pinching out side shoots. Above right: Rhubarb leaves in a drum.

the other scourge of the gardener is the aphid. these rapidly multiplying pests literally suck your plants dry. i grow sweet peas on my plot, as these act as a magnet for these pests. they love the sweet, tender growing shoots of the sweet pea. they congregate there in large amounts and are easily trapped. i walk around my sweet pea rows on a pleasant summers evening with a paper bag in hand. i then seek out these gatherings of aphids and i sneak up and tap them off the tips into the paper bag. the element

of surprise catches them out and they fall easily into the bag. i then take this mass of pests down to the pond at the bottom of my plot and there i feed them to the newly emerged little frogs. Every one is a winner well, not the aphids i suppose. if sweet peas are not for you then find room for a few nasturtiums, which will carry out the same function. as for those aphids that are found in difficult places like on the flowers of the runner beans, it is not easy to shake them free. then into action i go with my pump-up pressure sprayer. No insecticides added, just tepid water. pump to full pressure, put on the full jet, then hit them with it. they soon let go and are washed to the ground, where they perish, as they have never mastered the art of swimming and there you have the perfect organic way of controlling those aphids. in the greenhouse everything is growing apace. the tomatoes are starting to form, and to help them on their way i tap them regularly and mist spray them to aid pollination. also, it is important to nip out those side-shoots to keep the plant growing freely and producing good-sized tomatoes. on your cherry tomatoes, this taking out of side-shoots is not necessary, as the more foliage, the greater the crop of these bite-sized beauties. out on the plot the garlic should be showing signs that it has fulfilled its mission and made good-sized bulbs. Ease them out of the soil and find somewhere dry and sunny to ripen those pungent bulbs, and then you will have plenty of those food-savouring cloves to add spice to your winter dishes. So, July gives many pleasurable hours on the plot, with food to spare and time to occasionally stand and stare!

27

Tomatoes setting.

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PERMACULTURE
In the May issue of Home Farmer, Brigit Strawbridge focused on the principles and ethics of permaculture and covered some basic design features. This month she discusses zoning, herb spirals, companion planting and weeds

NATURE
ZONING COMMON-SENSE DESIGN
Zoning is one of the simplest, most useful, and obvious of all permaculture design principles. When I came back from my first permaculture course I remember standing in my garden with what Id learned about zoning in mind, wondering what on earth had possessed me to plant my salad leaves at the bottom of the garden instead of just outside the back door, where I could more easily tend, water and pick them If you think about how you arrange things inside your house, youll get the idea of zoning very easily. For instance: in your bedroom you probably have a bedside table and a lamp that you can turn off easily when youre ready to go to sleep; in the bathroom the loo paper will undoubtedly be within very easy reach of the loo; and in the kitchen you will be able to reach for the washing-up liquid without even having to stretch whilst youre doing the washing-up. This is all common sense, but for some reason we dont always apply the same sense when planning our gardens. Starting with your home and moving out from your back door to the perimeter of your plot and beyond, zoning is all about making sure that the places you need to visit most frequently are as close as possible, whilst those you only visit once in a blue moon are the furthest away. from placing things you visit often (like your compost and recycling bins) in this zone as well as culinary herbs, salads, and any other plants that need frequent watering and attention.

Ergonomic Gardening with

ZONE 2

This is the area where you might plant perennials, soft fruits, and vegetables that still need to be visited every few days but which need less attention and less water than those in Zone 1. If you have space you might also place a beehive and/or a potting shed in this area.

ZONE 3

Your main crops would be planted in this area, and if you are fortunate enough to have sufficient land this is where you would establish an orchard.

ZONE 4

ZONE 0

This is your home. Applying permaculture principles in this zone would involve creating an efficient, low impact, and harmonious space from which to work, live, and relax. From a growing point of view, you might have some herbs on your kitchen windowsill and youd use other south-facing windowsills to start off your seedlings in early spring.

This area is semi-wild and doesnt necessarily have to be located within your own boundaries. It could be woodland, park, riverside, or meadowland basically an area that doesnt require much intervention. This is where you would forage for wild food and wood.

HERB SPIRALS BUILDING HELTER-SKELTER GARDENS

ZONE 5

Wilderness! This is the area where nature manages itself without human intervention. It is a great area to observe and learn from the self-sustaining ecosystems of the natural world. Although it makes great sense to apply zoning principles to your plot, there are no hard and fast rules where permaculture is concerned, so dont worry about blurring the boundaries between one zone and the next; the most important thing is to do what works best for you!

ZONE 1

This is the area closest to your kitchen door. You would benefit enormously

Herbs are a wonderful addition to anyones garden/life. If I didnt have a garden, but still had space to grow a couple of plants in a window box Id choose herbs. Not only are they useful for culinary and medicinal purposes but also they attract all manner of beneficial insects and pollinators, as well as adding colour and beauty to your garden almost all the year round. Most herbs are extremely easy to grow, but often get relegated to the bottom of the garden or left out completely because of lack of space. One simple solution is to build a herb spiral. Following on from what Ive just written about zoning, it makes sense to build your spiral as close as possible to your kitchen door. This way, when you need a sprig of rosemary to add to your casserole on a cold, wet, winter night, or a handful of sage to add to your stuffing

construct a spiral shape, adding more soil and moving inwards as you get higher. Plant your spiral up with all your favourite herbs, making sure to have those that enjoy arid conditions (rosemary, thyme, lavender, etc.) at the top, and those that enjoy damper, shadier conditions at the bottom on the north side of the spiral. None of the concepts I write about in this article are exclusive to permaculturists. Indeed many, such as companion planting, are already widely used by both organic and conventional growers. Companion planting works on many levels. Planting certain plants alongside each other can give shelter; provide support for climbing; attract beneficial insects; increase the chances of pollination; repel pests; help increase resistance to disease; and produce extra nutrients. Companion planting is a wonderful example of how we can imitate what happens naturally in the wild. For instance, trees have natural symbiotic relationships with certain fungi, whereby the fungus helps the tree extract nutrients and water from the soil and protects it from certain pests, whilst the tree gives the fungus the vital sugars it needs to survive. So, by interplanting certain plants we can increase nutrient uptake and pollination at the same time as reducing pest infestation. This will lead to increased yield. There are many different tried and tested examples of companion planting, and everyone has their favourites, but some plants have reputations for being super companions! These include poached egg plants, marigolds, nasturtiums and alliums Poached egg plants are fabulous companions for plants such as broad beans and tomatoes. They have a long

29

COMPANION PLANTING FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURS

Nasturtums. Photo credit: Michael Horsnell.

whilst youre in the middle of preparing a Sunday lunch, all you need to do is pop outside the back door and grab whatever you need with the minimum effort and fuss. A herb spiral looks a bit like a helterskelter but slightly dumpier. The size of your spiral will depend on the space you have available, but they are typically 11/22m in diameter and spiral up to around 11/2m in height. A structure of this size is large enough to accommodate a dozen or so different herbs. To build the walls of your herb spiral you will need durable materials such as large stones, wooden stakes, or glass bottles. Once you have marked out the diameter of your spiral you need to mulch the earth to suppress weeds before you start building. If you are building directly onto concrete you should break it up a bit first to help with drainage. Fill the circle with soil or compost. Then, starting from the outside of the circle and using your chosen materials,

There are many differenT Tried and TesTed examples of companion planTing, and everyone has Their favouriTes, buT some planTs have repuTaTions for being super companions!

flowering period, establish themselves very easily, and attract hoverflies and ladybirds, which both love to feed on blackfly. By planting them amongst your tomatoes, not only will you deter the blackfly, but you will also attract the bumblebees that pollinate the tomato plant. Marigolds (Calendula the more highly scented the better) are a great repellent of whiteflies, so they are great to plant around tomatoes, parsley, chervil and coriander, but dont plant them around your beans or cabbages, as they seem to have a herbicidal effect on them. Marigold roots contain a substance that kills harmful nematodes in the soil; and can continue to kill them for years after they have died back. Make sure to plant them in large clumps to get the best anti-nematode effects. They are also very good to plant between potatoes, as they deter eelworm. As well as being a useful companion plant, pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) is edible and has many medicinal properties. Nasturtiums seem to provoke a Marmite response you either love them or hate them but regardless of what you feel about them, they really are brilliant, all-round companion plants. As well as deterring whiteflies, squash bugs, aphids and cucumber beetles, nasturtiums are great trap crops for blackfly (drawing them away from neighbouring plants) and one of the very best plants for attracting predatory insects. They also have a long flowering period and are invaluable to bees in the early autumn when other flowering plants are becoming scarcer. Plant them amongst tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages and squashes, and under fruit trees. Use both the leaves and the flowers in salads.

DIAGRAM CREDIT: CHARLOTTE STRAWBRIDGE.

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PERMACULTURE
Alliums (garlic, chives, leeks and onions) make good companions for crops such as carrots because their strong, pungent smell helps mask the carrots scent and deters the carrot root fly. They also repel aphids, snails and rabbits. Garlic accumulates sulphur (a natural fungicide), so helps to prevent disease. Plant alliums under fruit trees and amongst cucumbers, lettuce, celery and peas. There are many more examples of companion planting, and whole books/ websites have been written on the subject. Its worth playing around with all the information and advice out there, and experimenting to see what works best for you. I always look to see what other people are doing on their allotments and then try it out myself. My favourite last year was planting borage with my strawberries; the borage absolutely buzzed with bees and the strawberries tasted better than ever before.

Dandelion. Photo credit: Jo Cormell.

Chickweed. Photo credit: Rob Hull.

WEEDS NATURES LITTLE HELPERS

Most gardeners dislike weeds and many go to great lengths to eradicate them from their plots without stopping to consider the multitude of benefits they provide. Ive always found it difficult to work out where the boundaries are between wild flowers and weeds; they are one and the same to me, and some of my favourite plants are classified as weeds by other gardeners! Im not suggesting you allow uninvited guests to take over your entire plot, but before you rush to dig up (for example) those dandelions and thistles that have appeared over winter, perhaps you might ask yourself why are they there? The answer to this question (in the case of

dandelions and thistles) will be that you probably have compacted soil. Plants that germinate in compacted soil have long taproots and will help to de-compact the soil whilst simultaneously reaching deep down below the surface to bring up valuable nutrients such as potassium. Conversely, any overworked soil that is lacking in organic matter will attract wonderful nitrogen-fixing weeds such as chickweed and clover. With a little shift in mindset, you might begin to see these weeds as friendly little helpers rather than alien invaders. With this in mind you might wish to leave them to do their job till its actually time to plant your crops; and if you dont want them to spread, just make sure you cut them down before they go to seed. The other thing you might want to consider before rushing out to weed is that many of these visitors are extremely edible! For instance, young dandelion leaves and chickweed both make incredibly nutritious additions to your salad bowl. Dandelion roots make a great coffee substitute whilst the

whole dandelion plant can be used to brew your own beer or wine. Chickweed and dandelion plants also have many medicinal benefits. Another so-called weed that you may like to take a second look at is the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Nettles are rich sources of potassium and nitrogen and many other minor nutrients. You can make a nutrient-rich nettle tea by filling a bucket with nettles, covering it in water, leaving it a couple of days and then diluting the resulting brew one to ten. Use this solution to spray any ailing plants. Of course you can also make nettle tea for yourself to help with all manner of human ailments!

SUMMARY

I have only touched the surface of what permaculture means to me in these articles, but hopefully you will have read enough to want to find out more and begin to incorporate its ethics and principles into your own lives. For more information, check out: www.permaculture.co.uk/.

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SPECIAL PROJECT

HOME FARM
Its fencIng thIs month; not garden fencing, but home farmer type stuff, for keeping farm animals in (or out, as the case might be), and for keeping pests and predators out of your chicken run or vegetable patch. there isnt one best type of fence, as it depends on what youre trying to achieve, but for stock fencing (cows, sheep, alpacas, horses and the like) I certainly have a preference for post and rail, so Ill take a look at that first. then well look at sheep netting, with a passing glance at top-wiring for areas that are already walled, and finally a look at chicken wire for allotments and chicken runs.

Fencing off the

and string, a tape measure, and a post level (a kind of multi-way spirit-level) are crucial if you want to avoid a lot of swearing and reworking, as its sort of half fencing, and half joinery as youll see.

John Butterworth covers fencing, from keeping in livestock to protecting your valuable veg from marauding chickens, and your chickens from Mr fox

POST AND RAIL

With this type of fence its easy for the amateur to make a good, permanent job, as its more about care and attention to detail than using a wire stretching kit, where experience counts for a lot! You need a few tools, as shown in the pictures,

Post and Rail Setting out.

Post spacing has to be quite precise, unlike for a wire fence, so there are one or two downsides to post and rail number one being underground drains. first, stretch out a length of string (baler band is ideal) from end to end of where your fence is to go. My sample fence looks a bit odd, in that its just one side of a triangle; were fencing off a piece of field to enclose a pair of beehives, so its just a short run, but no worries; if you can do a short run you can do a long one. Put the end posts in first, then stretch the string between them near ground level. Rail is 3.6m (11ft 10in) long, so therell be a post every 1.8m (5ft 11in), exactly. I start with posts every 3.6m (11ft 10in) first. the posts are 1.8m (6ft) long, and I use 7.6cm x 13cm (nominally 3in x 5in), as they can stand up to cows leaning on the fence. I know theres a big land-drain under here somewhere, as I spent many hours digging the damn thing a couple of years ago, so the next thing to do is

Digging the post holes using the twin-spade post-hole digger. Right: Staggered skew nail fencing technique.

to broddle about with a big crowbar to make sure its not where a post needs to go. All I could do if it was would be to move the fence somewhere else maybe change the angle as you cant knock a post through a drain without dire consequences. Anyway, I managed to straddle said drain with a post either side, so all was well. for the holes, you could just use a small-bladed garden spade, and if you dont have many post holes to dig then its OK at a pinch, but it makes the job quite hard, as youll have to grub about on your hands and knees as the holes get deep, because the soil will just slide off the spade. A post-hole spade (the long-bladed spade in the photograph on the left) is

far better, so is highly recommended. Better still is to use the post-hole spade for the first bit of digging, then the twin-spade post-hole digger (to the left of the spade in the picture) for the deep section, as these things will get the soil out from really deep holes, and theyre a lot tougher than they look, so you can dig with them too. for the 1.8m (6ft) posts, the holes need to be deep enough to leave about 1.05m of post showing (or just under 4ft). If your soil is horribly stony, like mine, the big crowbar comes in handy for bashing through or levering out big rocks. Put the posts in and tamp down the soil as you put them in using a length of lath or similar some pundits would

have it that you should cement the posts in, but Ive never found that necessary. If you do, fill the top couple of inches with gravel, as it lets water drain, and the posts dont rot as quickly. Use a PostRite type spirit-level to get them dead vertical (the blue gadget in the tools picture; it has multiple spirit-levels so you can keep the post vertical in both directions as you firm it in). the surest way to get the spacing accurate is to lay the rails along the ground and site the posts at the joints. Mark the rails exactly halfway for the intermediate posts. If you use four rails, cows cant get their heads through and sheep cant step through it. three rails is cheaper but youd have to run wire in the gaps as well, to make it stock-proof. the bottom rail goes only 50cm (1ft 8in) or so above the ground, with the top rail maybe 30cm (1ft) below the top of the post, then space the others evenly. I use 90mm x 38mm (31/2 in x 11/2 in) rail to keep cows in, but it comes in lots of different sizes, so take your pick. nail with galvanised nails, two per rail at each post or the rails warp, and skew nail. Dont line all the joints up on each post, stagger them as shown, then each post has two end joints and two lengths of rail without joints, as you can see this means the fence has no particular weak points.

33

SHEEP NETTING

this is all about how well you can build straining posts at each end of the run, because you are going to be doing some serious pulling on them and theyll try to come out of the ground! Below is one on one of my fences; this is top-wire for a dry stone wall, but the principle

34

SPECIAL PROJECT
giant corkscrew affair, to speed things up if your soil is fairly stone free. I cant, so I dig a hole about 40cm (1ft 4in) then dosh the posts the rest of the way with a post knocker, which makes them pretty firm. this fencing tools picture below, shows the post knocker, plus my cheapo ratchet and pawl wire puller, ordinary pincers, and multi-purpose wiring pliers. Again, use the post spirit-level to get the posts vertical. space the intermediates about 2m or 6ft apart a couple of strides is about right. straining the wire heres the hard part. Ive done loads of top-wiring (a couple of stands of barbed wire on posts to protect a dry stone wall) and I use the tractor; not to pull something would break but as an anchor point to pull from. heres me risking life and limb using the ratchet and pawl puller, and yes, I should be wearing goggles, and possibly a full suit of armour (pictured below). for sheep netting the tractor-as-anchorpoint method could still be used, but the puller has to be attached to a special clamp on the netting, or it goes out of shape, sags, and is generally horrible on completion (and I speak from bitter experience). Pictured right is an image of both puller and clamp. the clamp grips the top and bottom wires hard, and the puller attaches to the hook in the centre of the clamp to put an even pressure on the netting as you ratchet it tight, and you can even pull straight from the straining post using these. heres the rub though the Monkey Puller (great name!) is nearly 100, as is the clamp, so you need to be doing quite a lot of fencing to warrant investing that amount of cash.

is the same. straining posts need to be both longer and thicker than the intermediates as they do most of the work; about 10cm x 1.68m (4in x 5ft 6in) for intermediates and 15cm x 2.13m (6in x 7ft), or even bigger for the ends for a good strong fence. the straining posts must be braced with a long post set at about 45 degrees as you can see, with the top set into a notch in the vertical post about a third of the way from the top. the bottom of the bracing post is held in place by beating in a short post, which can just be seen in the grass. for a corner, the posts must be braced in both directions as you can see above. this is braced about halfway down, but it had to be clear of the wire for the topwiring along the dry stone wall. the bad news is that every time you change direction, a stout (read more expensive) post is needed, to take the increased stress on the wire. Worse, if its more than a minor bend the post

probably needs bracing as shown, on the right or it will get pushed off vertical when the wire is tightened. the tools for putting the straining posts in are the same as for post and rail, but as the intermediates are smaller in diameter you can use an auger, a sort of

ChiCken wire is the hexagonal stuff, muCh Closer-spaCed than sheep netting but nowhere near as strong, so for ChiCkens its ok

CHICKEN WIRE

this is really easy to do yourself, but again theres a bit of a knack to it. chicken wire is the hexagonal stuff, much closer-spaced than sheep netting but nowhere near as strong, so for

for cattle fencing it needs topping with barbed wire too, and pulling that too tight makes the netting sag which is why I got my sheep netting done professionally. not only do the professionals pull the wire fantastically tight, they use tractor-mounted post knockers, which means the posts are firmer than you can get them by hand. this is why it looks so good in the pictures! I usually limit my efforts to post and rail, top-wiring and

chickens its OK; anything bigger needs sheep netting or post and rail. the posts can be thinner, and hence cheaper, but the ends and corners still need to be braced as with sheep netting. Ive used it for two purposes round the veg patch to keep pesky rabbits out, and round the chicken pen to keep dogs and foxes out, and the chickens in. for the veg patch first: heres how we stop the rabbits from burrowing under, without digging a trench and burying wire. We put the posts in as before, including bracers on the corners. We

for stock fencing, for the amateur, post and rail is easiest, looks good, and lasts for ages. sheep netting can be good if its really taut, but the professionals do it best (my two farming mates both use professional fencers), and by the time youve added that cost on, the price is probably on a par with DIY post and rail. chicken wire is easy for DIY, but for foxes it has to be tALL, and rather than bury part of the fence in a trench to keep the baddies out, lay it on the grass it really works. All the wood you use should be pressure-treated or youll be doing it all again in two years time! happy fencing.

then stretch a couple of lengths of plain galvanised wire top and bottom, spaced for 1.22m (thats 4ft really) chicken wire, with one at ground level. We fasten the chicken wire to the plain wire with either twists of thin galvanised wire or little plastic cable clamps. then we cut the roll of wire down the middle, lengthways. We lay that on the grass as you can see in the photo below left, with about 15cm (6in) turned up and fastened to the fence. Push a load of U-shaped wire offcuts into the piece on the ground to stake it down, as shown. the grass grows through it in no time, making it disappear, but the rabbits are thwarted, ha ha! for the chicken run its more or less the same but much, much taller, as foxes can easily clear 2m (6ft). Pictured below is the run; it has the wire in the grass as above, but the posts are 2.4m (8ft), and topped with electric fence wire. Ive screwed upside-down plastic electric fence posts to the tops of the round posts and run the wire through those. I left the spikes on as it makes the fence look that much meaner, dont you think?

35

SUMMING UP

36

LIVESTOCK
Heidi M. sands sets out some basic guidelines for making a visit by the vet as smooth and easy as possible for both keeper and patient and vet

Its never easy deciding to call in the vet. It takes experience to know just whether your animal actually needs a call out, or if something is an emergency. Most of the time routine veterinary care can be arranged to take place at the surgery, unless the animal, or group of animals, are too large or too many to move. even some types of emergency care can take place at the veterinary surgery; Ive seen sheep being lambed on the pavement outside our local vets a largely rural practice where no one turns a hair at this sort of thing, simply because its actually easier, quicker and probably cheaper for the shepherd to pop the ewe in the back of his 4x4 and have the procedure performed at the vets convenience. Deciding whether or not you can risk taking a large and ailing animal to the vets for treatment is not always easy. the best way to determine this is to telephone and speak to a vet for advice. Depending on what you are able

CaLLS
to tell him or her, they can advise you as to whether your animal needs to be seen at home or in the surgery. Calling out the vet may seem the sort of thing that only the big boys do, but thats not the case. vets are, in the main, happy to call and see any sick animal, whether you are farming 100 acres, keeping a smallholding or just a couple of pigs or chickens in your backyard. What matters most to them is the welfare of the animal or animals in question, and its not only large and hard-to-move animals that need care and treatment: a group of
Above: A good stockman will examine his animal on a daily basis. Left: Cattle treatment. Below left: The sheep are penned ready and waiting.

When the Vet

chickens, geese or ducks in a garden environment may be equally difficult to move en masse, and depending on the treatment they may need or the ailment they have, a visit from the vet to your premises could be better all round than trying to take even a couple of turkeys into the surgery. the best person to determine if an animal is off colour is the person who normally feeds and cares for it. Watching your animals on a daily basis gives you a good idea of what is normal for them. If any of them are acting out of sorts or displaying unusual behaviour, a little careful sleuthing can sometimes work out what the problem is. Being off their food, lying about, inactivity, sweating, coughing, and lameness are all signs of an animal being unwell. If you are familiar with an animal thermometer and know how to use it you may be able to take the temperature of a seemingly ill animal, but if you are not, then such

37

Above: Hold and present your piglet for the vet to examine. Below: Injectable medications.

attempts are better left to those who are. a rise in temperature, though, of any animal is generally an indication to call the vet, and so is a drop in temperature. Once youve decided that you have an ill animal on your hands its often difficult to determine whether its an emergency or whether you can watch and wait a while to see if things improve. However, if you are at all concerned, call your vet for advice; its better to be safe than sorry. It may not be an emergency, but early treatment of some types of illness is prudent. emergencies range from, but are not exclusive to, colic in horses and ponies, poisoning of any kind, problems during the birth process, accidents involving gashes and lacerations that are bleeding profusely, and sudden unexplained changes in an animals ability to breathe or move about freely. Less urgent problems, but those still needing veterinary care, include call outs for routine vaccinations of large animals, castrations, dehorning, unexplained lameness, mastitis and many more. the list is endless. so, if we know that the vet is on his or her way, what should we do? How should we prepare, and what should we expect on the vets arrival? ensure that the vet has good directions to where the animal is kept.

not all of us are lucky enough to be able to keep our animals at home, and if kept elsewhere, such as on rented land, an allotment, or with friends or family, ensure that the visiting vet knows this. Get an estimated time of arrival too: its no use standing about for hours waiting while you could be getting on with something else, but if it is an emergency and time is of the essence, you should fully expect a vet to be with you within twenty minutes. Whilst you wait, catch or confine the animal or animals in question. Haltering a sheep, cow or pony before the vet arrives will help with time management. Penning a group of sheep will endear you to a busy vet, and likewise, catch and

contain poultry, for the last thing a vet will want to do is wait for half an hour while you round up your charges. If needs be, have extra pairs of hands available for any catching and restraining. Its now that good handling of your animals will pay off, for a quiet, well behaved creature will stand easier for examination and treatment of any kind. Do not be above bribery, as a bucket of feed, a hay net to nibble on, or a scratch under the chin may encourage your animal to stand still for the vet. But whilst you are waiting and unless you are certain, it might be better to steer clear of feeding an animal that may later need to be sedated. vets like somewhere to clean their hands, so hot or warm water will be appreciated if you have the facility to boil a kettle, so much the better. Clean buckets, towels, soap, or veterinary scrub will be handy, as too will somewhere clean, well lit, and bedded if necessary, to handle and examine the patient. If its raining, have the animal under cover if possible, as no one really wants to stand out in the pouring rain getting a thorough soaking unnecessarily; it probably wont benefit the sick animal either. also have to hand any equipment you are likely to need. It may be nothing more than a halter or headcollar, but could extend to a sheep pen or race, or perhaps even a cattle crush. Pig boards might be required to confine an errant sow, and even exotics need vets, so knowledge of how to restrain them will be vital. When the vet arrives, provide details of what has happened and any first aid treatment youve been able to provide.

38

LIVESTOCK
Its not necessary to give a full life history, but remembering when an animal was last treated for worms or whatever, and which products were used, can be useful. Likewise, if this is a recurring problem thats being treated, being able to recall what medicines worked previously can eliminate some of the guesswork. However concerned you might be at the time, give the vet a chance to examine the animal before bombarding him with questions. Its not easy to do sometimes, but a calm and collected client can help soothe inflamed situations. Keep boisterous dogs, children and inquisitive neighbours under control while the vet concentrates on the matter in hand. Once a diagnosis has been made between you and the vet, you can decide the best way forward. Be led by your vet however; they know best about treatments and available medicines. Where you can help is by providing an insight into your animals likely cooperation with any treatment it may need. some animals are notoriously difficult to give injections to, yet you may have worked out through experience a way of doing this. Others will take nothing by mouth and need to be conned into swallowing tablets, pills or powders. If you are uncertain how to apply creams, lotions or poultices to skin, feet or legs, then inform your vet. He may be happy to return and do these things for you, but dependent on your own ability you might be able to learn how to do some simple procedures for yourself. Bandaging, for example, is a lot harder than it looks. It takes a bit of skill to ensure that the bandage goes on evenly, appropriately, and not too tight or too slack. a bit of tuition goes a long way in such matters. ensure you are happy with the diagnosis or instructions given to you by your vet. If not, ask to have them explained to you. after all, you are paying for his or her advice, and its of little use if you dont fully understand whats being said to you. Do not be afraid to ask, as some of what you will be told may be complicated; after all, if it was easy wed all be vets. If you are still unsure, write things down along with any follow-up instructions. ask if the animal needs to be checked out again and for how long treatment should continue. Make sure you have all the medications you are likely to need and that you know how to obtain more if you need them. some veterinary drugs are only available on prescription, but others can be bought over the counter at your local agricultural merchants. Know which you will need and how to procure them. some, especially long-term drugs and

Above: Exotics need vets too.

treatments, are available via the Internet, and savings can be made this way. Knowing what to look for by way of improvement in condition or following an operation is important. a certain amount of swelling following a castration, for example, will be normal, but make sure you know what to look for after any operation. Unusual bleeding, bursting of stitches, or changes to breathing are all important indicators that something is not as it should be. Be sure you have all the information you are likely to need. Once the vet has left youll need to clean up any residual mess. the vet will normally take away with him or her any sharps, that is needles or blades that have been used. soiled cotton wool swabs, dirty water, towels, and animal bedding will need to be carefully disposed of. Wash your hands well, and, if possible, thoroughly clean out and disinfect any dirty examination areas or loose boxes.

Further Info

Heidi M Sands has just compiled a book celebrating the real stars of Cumbrias famous annual horse fair, the horses and their handlers. The Horses of Appleby Fair is published by Old Pond Publishing www.oldpond.com and costs 9.95. Telephone 01473 238200.

If a contagious illness is suspected, then your vet will advise you exactly how to proceed. He or she may even insist you use protective clothing and boot washes to prevent the spread of any disease. remember to note down in your veterinary medicine record which animal has been treated, and with what. Personally, I also keep a more detailed animal treatment book for my own use. In it I note down anything I have noticed as well as what the vet has told me. treatment plans and future expectations also go in, and the times Ive been able to look back and utilise the information in this book has been invaluable to me. sometimes, years have passed before Ive needed to look something up, but as the passage of time renders the brain unable to recall everything that happened, the usefulness of doing something like this becomes apparent. Keep an eye on any animal that has been treated, even if it was only for routine vaccinations or the like. rarely, complications develop or reactions occur, and in cases such as this quick action can avert a disaster. a good vet may telephone after a visit to enquire how a patient is doing. not all do, and if yours does then thank your lucky stars. now may seem the time to breathe a sigh of relief and be glad that the vets visit is over. When your bill arrives, pay it with good grace and on time, for you never know when youll need the vet to call again, and fostering good relations with your chosen veterinary surgeon will go a long way to making your own and your animals lives more pleasant.

40

SEASONAL POULTRY
The health of your birds is very important, and much can be learnt from just checking around the pen and coop for the appearance of your chickens droppings

Clare Beebe talks a load of poo!

new poultry keepers are often unaware of the custard-like droppings, which are seen quite regularly. These can be caused simply by feeding corn/split maize or greenstuffs, but it is also nearly always one of the main symptoms of worms. one of the other main causes of this type of dropping is a respiratory infection, and this could have happened at a young age and may never have been properly addressed.

CheCking on ChiCken poo may seem distasteful, but there are certain problems with poultry that can immediately be recognised just by looking at the appearance of droppings. if you have any sick birds and decide to pay a visit to the vet it is very likely that they will need to check on the birds to confirm a problem or illness, and this will inevitably mean the vet asking for a sample of their droppings for examination. From these tests you can determine many infections and diseases, but to get the exact diagnosis they have to go through a proper clinical examination, and this has to be carried out by a vet or laboratory to confirm whether there are any problems that will need attention. Chickens will generally produce droppings that, under normal circumstances, have the appearance of a solid, blackish colour with an additional white area attached. The black section is the birds solid waste and the white is the urine, and this should be quite firm and well formed together in an almost rounded shape. if the droppings look like this then it is a sign that the birds are basically in a good, healthy condition.

if you worm your birds on a regular basis, then there should be no need for concern, but do be cautious because even though you may have wormed the birds, it is so very easy for them to pick up further infestations during their daily routine, especially if left to forage. Try to keep a close watch on the birds, and if the symptom persists and the worming has not controlled the problem, then a consultation with the vet is definitely required.

COCCIDIOSIS

Coccidiosis is possibly one of the most dangerous of all the problems that are easily observed in the droppings. it is caused by eimeria, an intracellular parasite, and is more common in young birds that have not reached full maturity. normally, between six and twelve weeks is the period when birds seem to be at their most vulnerable. The signs are usually very plain to see, and in most cases there is a cure if the problem can

ABNORMAL DROPPINGS

Custard like droppings could be worms or in some cases could be from the food they are being given.

be caught at an early enough stage. The birds firstly become lethargic and the wings will droop. They will stand with their heads down looking very unhappy. As regards visual signs, always check the ground where the birds roost. Fresh shavings on the shed floor will soon show up any problem droppings (they always stand out extremely well on clean shavings), and if coccidiosis is present there will be droppings that have a bloody-red appearance. The parasites themselves are microscopic and not visible with the naked eye. When this stage of infestation is reached the problem is well established and some losses may well follow. Do not at this stage separate or transfer any of the birds to other pens, and under no circumstances mix these birds with any others from different pens, as this will spread the disease rapidly. All the birds in the infected pen will need the same treatment: an oral dosage of an anti-coccidiosis treatment such as Amprol. This must be

41

Normal healthy poo.

obtained from the vet and given to the birds as soon as possible. it is necessary to dose every bird in the pen to both stop further infection and to treat any other birds, which will probably also be affected. Any other birds in the same area will probably have picked up the worm as they pecked around in the pen, and transmission is very easy, and also very quick.

There are two main types of worms in poultry, and these are roundworms and tapeworms. Any animal or bird can be affected by worms and it is very important to treat and keep them under control. it is just the same procedure as with the family cat or dog, which also need to be wormed. The signs are often easy to see. The droppings are a yellow liquid with the presence of worms sometimes visible in the droppings, some of which actually still move. The affected bird will often appear droopy and pale, with a drop in

one small point to remember is that this disease can be easily transmitted from bird to bird, and perhaps more importantly also by us carrying the problem on our feet, so extra vigilance is needed and cleanliness is a necessity. if coccidiosis is not treated it will kill, and the birds will not recover from this problem on their own.

egg production, although the bird is not always visibly ill. i recommend a good quality wormer at least four times a year routinely. You can get poultry wormer from any vet if you are a client.

WORMS

Droppings showing sign of worms not the red jelly in the dropping.

42

SEASONAL POULTRY
There are quite a few treatments on the market that are available in powder or liquid form. The choice is up to the individual poultry keeper. Ask your local poultry supplier for information. Transmitting worms is very much the same as with most diseases: bird to bird, from infected ground, or again by us on our feet.

WHITE AT THE VENT WITH LIGHT-GREEN DROPPINGS

There are again various causes of this, ranging from feed or greenstuff, and even feed with too high a protein content, but in most cases the problem is more deep-rooted. i have found from experience that once the pale-green fluid appears there is a very bad inside infection and the results are nearly always a fatality. i have had the birds checked and the results have often been negative, but i hate to admit that once this stage is reached there is not a lot of hope for the bird. The old books recommend epsom salts and various other concoctions, most of which are either unavailable or even illegal these days. i tend to try and keep the birds separated and as comfortable as possible, with a constant supply of fresh water with a small dosage (10ml) of cider vinegar, and also worm them orally by syringe as a back up. i have had some success, but i must admit the results are not very impressive. The main consideration in all types of internal problem is that they are caused, in most cases, by infection from the ground they run about on, and

Messy vent caused by roosting on the floor.

infection carried by other birds and ourselves. Cleanliness is the one main factor to protect both ourselves and the birds. Use disinfectants, foot-baths, clean fresh feed, and most importantly, good clean bedding, which needs to be changed on a regular basis. good management always gives good results and can, in the long run, save you both money and time. As i have said so many times before, prevention is always better than cure.

gRoWing To MATURe Watery and bloody droppings (coccidiosis or thrush). Yellowish droppings (respiratory disease or worms). green to yellowish droppings (internal problems).

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AS EARLY WARNING SIGNS

ChiCkS FRoM 0 To 12 WeekS Vent pasting (the main cause is the chicks are chilled). Watery diarrhoea (enteritis or anaemia). Bloody diarrhoea (blackhead, coccidiosis or enteritis).

These are very basic and simple checks to make, but be aware that the food you are giving, the environment in which they live, and many other factors can contribute to the many and varied appearances of droppings. Do not panic, but if you have any concerns contact your vet and get some good, sound advice as to what to use and what to do for the welfare of the birds. Contact your vet for supplies and advice on which product is suitable for your individual needs. he or she will advise you too on any restrictions medicines used may bring about regarding consumption of either eggs or meat.

Worming Products
The Coxi worm.

Flubenvet Wormer (this will treat roundworms, tapeworms, hairworms, threadworms and gapeworms). Marriages Layers Pellets including Flubenvet Wormer. Solubenol Poultry Wormer. Baycox (for the treatment of coccidiosis prescription only). Bio-Dry (protection and disinfectant). Bi-00-Cyst (coccidiosis prevention). Barrier V1 Disinfectant (general protection and cleanliness).

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MEALWORMS

MEALWORMS
We Were at our usual bird shop buying live mealworms when I commented to my partner that it was getting expensive. Was it possible to breed mealworms ourselves? Well, with twenty chickens and six ex-battery hens (collected in april from the British Hen Welfare trust (www. bhwt.org.uk)), quail and budgies it seemed like a good idea. I came home all raring to go and spent a couple of evenings researching online. I was coming to the conclusion that it might be possible. I found the rSPB advice page on breeding mealworms a good base to start with, but there was loads out there. Could I do it without feeling a bit squishy though? Well, yes, actually. We decided to give it a go.

Breeding your own

Catherine Gurney decided mealworms were becoming a considerable expense, with her growing number of birds, so she decided to breed them. and heres how you can do it too

Meal Worm Breeding Tank.

For the breeding tank we used an empty fish-tank. We also needed newspaper, layers pellets, potatoes, cabbage, bread, packing tape and empty cardboard egg cartons. the vegetables give the mealworms the moisture they need. We placed the tank in our outdoor shed, as they need the dark. Some sites recommend using an airing cupboard, but we didnt fancy that. the cost was about 10.00 to set up. Putting the breeding tank together was fairly simple a layer of newspaper on the bottom, packing tape around the inside top of the tank to stop the beetles crawling out, a layer of layers pellets about 2in thick, potatoes chopped into chunks, cabbage cut into pieces, an upturned egg box, and then the live mealworms. a final layer of newspaper

Left: The Mealworm Life Cycle. Below: Skyline Having a Feast!

45

Now the mealworms were iN the taNk it was a matter of checkiNg every couple of days aNd removiNg aNd replaciNg the vegetables as they dried up...

on the top and a wooden cover to stop any chicken intruders completed the set-up. Some sites recommend bran as the bedding layer, so we may try this for the next cycle. Many sites also suggest keeping the breeding tank at a fairly constant temperature between 45F and 85F. the mealworms will take about twelve weeks to go from the egg stage to worm to beetle. Now the mealworms were in the tank it was a matter of checking every couple of days and removing and replacing the vegetables as they dried up and started to go mouldy along with the bedding pellets. I started by using tongs to remove the old dried up bits, as there were still some worms attached, but after a few weeks I was picking them out by hand. We also introduced carrots, which didnt turn mouldy as quickly as the potatoes. For the first two or three weeks the mealworms seemed to be moving around well, burrowing between the newspaper like busy little children. apparently, if you dont provide enough moisture for them they will eat each other! as you can see from the picture, our Skyline was being very helpful on vegchanging day, and yes, she did get a few worm treats. after this, the movement in the tank seemed to die down. Had they died? No, it was the start of the next process of development into the pupa stage, and then in the first week of May the beetles

started to emerge. the breeding tank seems to have done well in the shed, but we may have to reconsider that during the winter. We might need to cover it with a thick sack. In the photo with the egg box I have tried to show the cycle from worm to beetle (with a beetle emerging from the pupa). they started off light brown and have now turned black ready for laying the eggs. We are now at the beetle stage. the beetles will lay 200500 eggs, which will start the whole cycle again. at this point I will remove some of the eggs to start a fresh tank using a plastic box. apparently, the beetles do eat some of the eggs too. there is also a strange popping noise coming from the tank. It is a bit like the popping candy [Space Dust? ed] you can buy that pops peculiarly in your mouth. We are now looking forward to the beetles laying the eggs and turning into mealworms. the cheeky chickens will of course be waiting for this stage. It did seem like a big adventure at first, but now we have beetles it all seems worthwhile. We shall continue with the breeding using the fish-tank, as our main operation, and use plastic stacking drawers for the new ones to keeping it easily accessible and tidy at the same time. My two boys have certainly enjoyed watching the changes and gained a good understanding of a mealworms lifecycle and of course helping with the clean up. In all it has been fairly easy, not that time-consuming, not vastly expensive, and a very interesting thing to do its certainly cheaper than buying them.

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REAl COO
Our WeatHer Often lurches from hot and muggy days to cool periods with plummeting temperatures. Chickens find these changeable weather conditions difficult to cope with, and poultry keepers should be aware that a fluctuation in temperature can take its toll on birds. extremely hot, humid days can result in heat stress, and this can have a damaging effect on welfare and egg production. although the air temperature itself will be an obvious guide as to whether the birds may be suffering, their behaviour will also help to give an indication. Chickens do appreciate the sun and will sunbathe for short spells, laying sideways on the ground with a wing stretched out to soak up the rays. apart from the birds simply enjoying the warmth, sunshine is important because, along with ultraviolet light, it makes the process of providing vitamin D in the body, which aids the proper development of bones. However, strong sunshine accompanied by high humidity can distress birds. Panting is the first sign of trying to cope with heat. Birds lack sweat glands, so the only method of cooling the body that they have is to respire rapidly with open beaks, whilst holding their wings loosely at their sides so that air may pass through. usually, chickens are quite sensible, and if there is shade around they will use it, as the temperature can be several degrees cooler under shade and out of the sun. the deep body temperature at which a bird dies is known as the upper lethal temperature. the upper lethal temperature for an adult chicken is approximately 47C. to reduce the environmental temperature, all poultry should be provided with shade, even if it is only

HEN-HOUSE DIARY

Janice Houghton-Wallace looks at how to keep your chickens comfortable during the hot weather

Panting is the first sign of trying to coPe with heat. Birds lack sweat glands, so the only method of cooling the Body that they have is to resPire raPidly with oPen Beaks

temporary. a sheet or even a patio parasol will provide protection from the suns rays. Greenery is also very cooling, and if birds can hide amongst tall plants this will produce a mini climate. the shade from a leafy canopy and shrubs with a spreading habit provides the best environment, and the foliage will additionally help to cool the air if there is even the hint of a slight breeze. reduced egg production must be expected when the temperature soars. this will be partly due to energy being diverted by the bird in order to keep its body cool, but also because it will probably not be eating as much as normal. Just as humans feel less inclined to eat during extremely hot weather, poultry also have a tendency to lose their appetite. It is important, though, to encourage them to eat, as they will soon begin to lose condition if they do not. to overcome this, feed them as early in the morning as is practical, before it gets really hot, followed by a grain feed when it cools down in the evening. In the summer, a straight wheat feed given about an hour before roosting will be welcomed and will sustain the birds throughout the night. any food containing moisture given as supplementary titbits will be very acceptable during hot sultry weather. fruit, such as apples and plums, will help the intake of water, as will green vegetables and sweetcorn. Hot poultry will consume more water than when the temperature is cooler, so water drinkers must be large enough to supply their needs until you are able to attend to them again. In warm weather, water can go stale very quickly and algae and bacteria will grow rapidly, so drinkers should be cleaned daily, and ideally, if it is very hot, the water should be changed

Ol CHICkS

47

48

HEN-HOUSE DIARY

twice daily. even though it may look clean, solar power will raise the temperature, and warm water is not appreciated by poultry, and not recommended. the domestic fowl is acutely sensitive to the temperature of water. acceptability decreases as the temperature of the water increases. fowl will discriminate when there is a temperature difference of only 5f, rejecting the higher temperature water. Chickens will suffer from acute thirst rather than drink water 10f above their body temperature. at the other extreme, the chicken will readily accept water down to freezing temperatures. therefore, when filling any utensils from a tap, let the water run for a while until the fresh, cold water is flowing. Make every effort to reduce the temperature in poultry housing, so it is comfortable for the birds when they are shut in for the night. the temperature will rise quicker in smaller poultry

houses, as heat radiates from the roof more readily. Whatever the size of house, increase the circulation of air and shade it if at all possible. In the early evening hose down the roof and sides, which will immediately reduce the air temperature inside the house. If birds get heat stress during the day you can mist them by using a sprayer filled with clean water and ejecting a mist over the heads and backs of the chickens. this will refresh them, but only use a clean sprayer, not one that has already been used for insecticide or suchlike. By midsummer, hens will begin to go broody. If you leave broodies in housing with other birds they will not only sit

make every effort to reduce the temPer ature in Poultry housing, so it is comfortaBle for the Birds when they are shut in for the night

on their own eggs, but will also gather up any others and brood those as well. the danger here is that if this is not dealt with, a broody can be sitting for so long that any original eggs can hatch out under eggs that still have several days to go, and the chicks will be suffocated. It is best to isolate a broody completely to either break the broody cycle, or place her where she can then incubate the eggs given to her. During hot weather, protection from predators is vital too, so dont be tempted to leave the birds out overnight to enjoy the cooler air. foxes, just like burglars, welcome hot nights when windows and doors are left open.

50

GUINEA FOWL

Starting with Guinea Fowl

These are curious creatures and look almost prehistoric. it has been said that chickens act like velociraptors, but these birds actually look like them! They are a largish bird, sometimes weighing up to 1.7kg, and generally have a naked head with a horn-like helmet on the top in adulthood. Guinea fowl originate from africa and were domesticated by the romans and Greeks, who prized them for their lean, gamey meat. it is widely eaten across africa but it wasnt a major meat group in europe until the Portuguese started importing it in great quantities in elizabethan times. The largest domestic producer of guinea fowl meat is France, with Belgium and italy coming in close.

Mike rutland checks out guinea fowl; a bird which, if you have the space and time, could well prove a profitable challenge
The most common guinea fowl is the helmeted guinea fowl, available in a range of colours from albino, melanistic (pure black), to ones bred for a greater density of their blue-grey colouration, giving them an almost purple hue from a distance. This bluey grey colour is the most commonly seen. They are a nervous bird, and unlike most chickens or fowl they arent likely to become hand tame. ours do come up to our feet for food, but we hardly ever get to touch them, as they soon run away,

shouting and calling as they do this is where you are likely to fall out with your neighbours if you keep guinea fowl. You are likely to keep guinea fowl either for pleasure or as table birds, and as such they can be in great demand. The meat is gamey in flavour and texture, and the carcass will be around 11.5kg dressed, so is suitable for a small family meal.

Meat from guinea fowl is high in protein, low in cholesterol and carries an appreciable amount of vitamin B6, niacin and selenium, making it a good, healthy meat. a big bonus is that they emit a loud shriek when disturbed and make excellent guard dogs for your property. The problem is that eVerYThiNG seems to disturb them the cats walking across the drive, the peacock displaying to the hens, the barking of the dogs you get the picture. This is their biggest downfall. Many people do not like the fact that they are noisy, and you almost certainly will not be able to keep them if you have many neighbours. They are a very active bird, capable of quite a turn of speed when running. This, coupled with their ability to range considerable distances, makes them poor candidates for a small garden. They keep close to each other, our six often blending into one when looking at them, as they run so close together, but run they do. i would suggest that you keep them in a very large garden or preferably a paddock. as for fencing, a large, 5ft-high, post and rail fence makes an excellent perch for them. They are very capable of getting up into trees to roost and will use your fencing as a stepladder to get where they want. i have never seen our guinea fowl fly at height and soar in the skies, but they are perfectly able to get at least 8ft up into the air and glide happily down from any height of trees. if you wish to keep them as ground birds you will have to consider clipping one of their

51

wings, and you will need to regularly keep on top of re-clipping them, which will mean capturing the birds frequently a task easier said than done. You can keep guinea fowl in an enclosure, and the best choice would be a pole barn arrangement. This is a three-sided, roofed shed of a large enough capacity to keep them in, with a large covered run extending out the front where side four of your shed would normally be. The run should be covered with mesh about 8ft high. allow about 2ft of perch space for each bird, not because of their size but because a guinea fowl has a much drier dung than a hen, which easily forms into dust. Flapping will get this dust airborne and could cause aspergillosis or farmers lung should you or they breathe in the dust. By having a low stocking density and regular cleaning whilst wearing a good quality dust mask you should evade this pitfall. Guinea fowl may be hot-climate birds, but they cope easily with our British weather, as long as they can keep dry if it gets wet. This means that you need to ensure that the open side of the pole barn is facing away from any prevailing winds to keep out the driving rain. They also cope extremely well with the harsh cold we have experienced recently. ours were happily pecking about in the snow on our mountainside in 18c! Guinea Fowl are gregarious feeders, and i urge you to ensure that they get

52

GUINEA FOWL
good quality grains or pellets as a staple food, along with plenty of insects. They supplement their diet with insects, so if you do keep them in a pole barn it would be advisable to grow climbing nasturtiums or similar up the sides of the wire, as these are reputedly good at attracting insects and will allow a food source to come to your birds. if you have the space to free range the birds, you need almost not worry about feeding them, as they will happily spend all day pecking about in the scrub looking for insects, but i still make sure that before they go to roost i scatter some wheat or layers pellets under their favourite tree so that they go to bed on a full crop. Bee-keepers beware if you have hives in fields where guinea fowl roam. i have watched guinea fowl stand at a hive entrance, picking off bees one by one as they emerge from the hive. i would suggest placing the beehive in a fruit cage or similar and planting some screening to encourage the bees to fly up and over the heads of the guinea fowl. if, when purchasing guinea fowl, you can get them as young fowl or keets they will settle better into captivity than adult birds that have been ranging all their days. Bear in mind that they have a very small crop, so you must ensure that they have food available at all times to allow them to graze little and often. This is especially true of young keets, who have a huge demand for food when growing. To save time and labour get a large gravity feeder, fill it with chick crumb and keep it topped up. You can supplement the growing keets diet with mealworms, as this helps them put weight on due to the extra protein. adult birds will collect their own protein. Layers pellets alone will not supply enough protein for the birds. if you decide to breed guinea fowl be aware that they are abysmal mothers and as ground-nesting birds will happily nest in a clump of nettles or bracken. This makes them feel secure, as they can hide from you, but it also provides excellent cover for foxes, who will relish the chance to nab a broody guinea fowl off her nest. You are best to gather the eggs and pop them into an incubator or use a broody hen to rear them. Last year we used a Gold Top broody (a light sussex/ silkie cross) to rear a batch, and she was fantastic as a broody. she reared them all, and even today if they see her in the fields they try to get under her wings even though she is now half their size. Guinea fowl are generally monogamous, meaning that they pair for life. occasionally, you get a fowl that is a bigamist, but that is the exception rather than the rule. When trying to sex guinea fowl, the male will generally have

larger, brighter, cup-shaped wattles than the hen, and the helmet on his head will be better developed than that of the hen. When calling, he will also make a one-syllable sound, whereas the hen can make one- or two-syllable sounds. in the absence of suitable partners, guinea fowl have been known to hybridise with other domestic poultry. chickens can cross with guinea fowl, and hybrids of the two have been recognised for several centuries. They can also hybridise with peacocks. examples of these hybrids are known to have been documented by charles Darwin in his book The Origin of Species, and there are, through some very skilled taxidermy, examples of these two hybridisations

Next Month
Mike rounds up his series with a look at quail.

on display at The rothschild Museum at Tring, administered by The Natural history Museum. Guinea fowl eggs are like peacock eggs in as much as they are generally not fully fertile until the hens are mature and aged at least eighteen months old, or better still two years. always beware of people on internet auction sites selling eggs from young stock, as they will most likely be infertile. i love my guinea fowl (the neighbours probably dont) and i wouldnt want to be without them, as they make a fantastic sight as they proceed from one side of the field to the other in a line, parting the grass and looking for a tasty treat rather like some forensic search party looking for that elusive, case-solving clue. They arent for everyone, and i would say that not everyone can keep them, as it can be hard work ensuring that they get the right nutrition, but they are a delight to watch. if you have the space, some understanding neighbours and the right frame of mind to keep them, then by all means go for it.

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BEE-KEEPING IN JULY

Producing
Claire Waring explains how to turn your freshly extracted honey into the super smooth, soft-set honey we all adore

soft-set Honey
Last month We looked at how to remove supers from the hive and how to extract the honey from the combs. hopefully, you will now have a honey crop that you have either bottled after filtering, or have stored in buckets. If you have bottled it directly, you may find that by now it has gone extremely hard and is difficult to remove from the jar without bending the spoon. this is because of what is known as natural granulation, where the crystals form of their own accord in the shapes and sizes pertinent to the original nectar source. While this honey will taste just as good as any other, there is a way of making it much easier to spread on your toast: take the lid off the jar and put it in the microwave. For a single 1lb jar, microwave it on high for about 20 seconds, and then test it with a spoon to see if you can stir it. Repeat this until the honey is mobile within the jar. If you do more than one jar at a time it will take longer for the contents to warm. If you want to sell your honey, you need to produce what is known as softset honey, which involves controlling the granulation process. the aim is to produce a firm but soft honey that is easily removed from the jar, and which is soft to the palate when you eat it. this is achieved by a process known as seeding, which involves introducing many very fine crystals into a liquid honey to act as centres of crystallisation, producing a mesh of small crystals rather than one of large, coarse granules. I would produce soft-set honey in batches, starting with buckets of extracted honey that have been allowed to set in buckets. the first thing you need is a seed. this is a honey that is very smooth and contains extremely small crystals. You may find that some of your honey has naturally granulated this way, which is a real bonus. If you are not that lucky, you may be able to buy some from another local bee-keeper or, if the worst comes to the worst, you can buy a jar (or two) of honey from the supermarket. however, make sure it is British honey, especially if you plan to sell your honey. one of the ways that trading standards determines whether or not you are selling local honey is by looking at the pollen it contains under a microscope. Different flowers produce pollen grains of different, distinct sizes and shapes, and the presence of a large proportion of pollen from a flower that is not native to the British Isles, or grown in large (commercial) quantities here will ring the alarm bells. to seed your honey crop you will need a weight of seed honey about 10% of the total (honey crop plus seed) that you plan to deal with. In other words, if you have a batch of 33lb, you will need 3lb of seed. however, the proportions arent that critical. You can either start with the right amount of seed or you can produce it yourself from 1lb of seed and 9lb of your honey. this is essentially done as described below, but when you have mixed the honeys you need to let the mixture set hard before using it as a seed. the next thing you need is the ability to warm your honey under controlled conditions. that means having a warming box of some description, a suitable warming cable, a thermostat and an accurate thermometer. You can buy a warming cabinet that holds two 30lb honey buckets, or you can build your own insulated box to suitable dimensions. another option is to convert an old fridge, which comes with its own excellent insulation. Before the days of energy-saving light bulbs you could use ordinary light bulbs as the source of heat, although you had to be careful that you didnt introduce hot spots to the warming cabinet. however, it is far better to invest in a warming cable, which gives a much more uniform source of heat. You must be able to control the temperature in the cabinet reasonably accurately, so you need a suitable thermostat built into the circuit. In order to check the temperature, you also need a suitable thermometer, which at least covers the range 3050C (85125F), and I find the electronic ones are quite suitable. all these bits of equipment are available from the larger bee-keeping supply companies, or you may be able to purchase them on the Internet. If you are handy and want to make your own, the booklet, How to make a Warming Cabinet for Two Honey Buckets by Robin Chapman is available from www.bee-craft.com/shop. now you will need to completely liquefy your buckets of set honey. First scrape off any bits that may have floated to the surface. You can use these yourself. set the thermostat on the warming cabinet to 4349C (110 120F), and place the buckets inside. It may take 2448 hours to liquefy the honey, but it is important that you check that all the crystals have melted. after 24 hours, stir the honey as it melts with a stainless steel or plastic spoon to bring up the partly melted crystals from the bottom and move them into the warmer areas of the bucket. sometimes there are some stubborn crystals that refuse to melt, and if this is the case, when you pour the honey from the bucket, stop before you reach them and dont let them get incorporated in the seeding process. the seed needs to be mobile before you mix it into your liquid honey, and the two batches of honey, seed and liquid, want to be at approximately the same temperature. turn the thermostat on the warming cabinet down to 3235C (9095F) before putting in the seed bucket. It depends on the amount of seed that you

55

56

BEE-KEEPING IN JULY
are dealing with, as a small amount will soften more quickly than a large bucketful, but it can take around 24 hours. Keep an eye on it and watch that it doesnt start to melt. the aim is to get your seed to a consistency similar to double cream but without any of it becoming liquid. While the seed is being warmed, the liquid honey will be cooling. one way of getting seed and liquid to the same temperature is to have a warming cabinet that will take something like four buckets of honey. three buckets are melted at the higher temperature, then the thermostat is lowered before introducing the bucket of seed. the warmth from the liquid buckets will help to soften the seed, and all four buckets will reach the same temperature after about 24 hours. take the warm seed and agitate it so that it will flow. the vital thing at this stage is to introduce as little air as possible (preferably none) into the honey. You can purchase a honey creamer from equipment suppliers, and if you intend to produce soft-set honey on a regular basis this would be a very worthwhile investment. the creamer consists of a flat, circular aluminium plate attached to a long handle. the plate has holes in it, which allow the honey to pass through. Introduce the creamer into the honey carefully and then agitate the seed by moving the creamer up and down without letting the plate break the surface. Continue this until the seed is mobile. Pour the liquid honey into a settling or bottling tank through a fine filter, if you have not done this already, as you are working towards producing a finished product. again, try to introduce as little air as possible. Pouring the honey so that
Right: Your bottling tank needs to be stainless steel or food grade plastic. You must be able to position it so that you can get a bucket under the tap.

it runs down the side of the tank will help here. then add the seed. mix the two together with the creamer until you have a uniform mixture with no pockets of liquid honey. again, dont let the creamer break the surface. You can bottle your honey at this stage, but I think you will get a better product with a longer shelf life if you take an extra step. If you put the seeded honey into jars at this stage, it will look good and will be soft. however, it will be more prone to shrinking away from the side of the jar and, over time, it can also set firm and frost. Frosting is when air that is trapped in the honey shows up around the jar as lines of white crystals. this is not a problem if you are only going to use the honey yourself, but if you are thinking of giving it to relatives and friends, or selling it, it doesnt look good. those who do not understand honey often assume that if it has frosted, it has gone off. While this is not true, frosted honey on the shop shelf doesnt do the reputation of honey or the bee-keeper a lot of good. to help avoid these problems, run the mixed honey into clean buckets. If you find that there is liquid honey in the first bucket (or jars) that you fill from the settling tank, simply add it back into the tank and give it another stir. It is often difficult to incorporate liquid honey from the very bottom of the tank. at this stage, designate one of the buckets as your seed for future operations. Label it and put it to one side, so that you dont inadvertently bottle it and use or sell it. the cleanest, most consistent honey will come from the middle of the settling tank, so choose the second bucket for your seed. Depending on how much honey you have harvested, if you want to seed another batch this year I would recommend using one of the other buckets of seeded honey as your seed. over time,

Above: Soft-set honey good enough for show. It will have a smooth texture and will remain soft enough to take easily from the jar. Right: Frosting looks unsightly and can be avoided by allowing your soft-set honey to set before warming again for bottling.

the saved seed honey will get coarser, and by saving a bucket from one year to start the next, you will delay this process. there will be little loss of quality by using the current years seeded honey for subsequent batches in that season. Cover the buckets of soft-set honey and store them in a cool (14C/57F), but not cold, place. Leave the honey to set firm. With a plastic bucket you can test this by pushing against the side. You will soon know if it is solid! If it is going to happen, and this can depend on the nectar source, frosting will take place in the bucket. having seeded your honey and let it set, when you want to bottle some you will need to warm it again gently. treat the solid honey as you did the seed by warming it at 3235C (9095F) for around 24 hours. You want it to warm through but not melt it. test it is soft by pressing the side of the bucket. Use the creamer to make it mobile and then pour it into the bottling tank. Use a kitchen spatula to get all the honey from the bucket you dont want to waste any of it. Let it settle and then bottle it. the settling time depends to some extent on the ambient temperature. If it is colder, then bottle the honey sooner before it starts to go firm and doesnt flow easily. this will give you a firm but spreadable, delicious jar of honey of which you can be proud. sadly, space has run out to talk about dealing with beeswax, so we shall do this at a later date.

next month
We shall look at feeding your bees and treating for varroa.

VIABLE SELF-SUFFICIENCY

57

THE HOUSE COW

Having outlined a basic plan for a viable smallholding (see Home Farmer, June 2011), it is now time to start looking at the various aspects in a bit more detail. as i have said in previous articles, the house cow should be the hub of the enterprise, and her presence will set the pace of many other smallholding activities. this has certainly been our own experience we have never regretted switching from goats to cows, a move that took place about twelve years ago, and have discovered that cows are

dot tyne views the cow as the hub of any smallholding, and this month she guides us through the planning and acquisition of a house cow
very gentle creatures, more economical and easier to handle than goats, and of real benefit to a holding that aspires to be financially sustainable. First, to find a suitable cow! Have a look around locally to see what sort of cows your neighbours keep, and take a trip to your local livestock market to get an idea of the types of cattle that are regularly making good money. it is a sad fact that you are unlikely to see any of our traditional native breeds, such as the longhorn, or the gloucester on your

visit. this is because they have fallen out of favour with many farmers due to their lack of commercial qualities. if you want your animals to keep you rather than the other way around, then these picturesque breeds are, sadly, best avoided. at some point, hopefully, youll have stock to sell, and theres absolutely no point in taking an animal to market that no one wants to buy! there are a couple of exceptions to this; firstly, if you are looking to exploit a niche market for rare breed produce

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VIABLE SELF-SUFFICIENCY
(although do research this very carefully before committing yourself), and secondly, if your financial situation is such that you can afford to keep cattle as a hobby, in which case please consider doing your bit for the uKs rarer breeds. Many of the traditional breeds are still promoted by their respective associations as being ideal for milk and meat, but the reality nowadays is a little different. it is true to say that breeds such as the Welsh Black and the Red Poll used to be dual-purpose, but increasing levels of specialisation in agriculture have led to these animals being selected and bred primarily for beef production. very few, if any, breed societies representing traditional breeds will be able to provide you with performance figures to prove that their animals will give sufficient milk for your needs. You might be lucky and find an individual animal that is more milky than average, but on the whole you will not get enough. other (more popular) beef breeds, such as the aberdeen angus and the Charolais, will give only enough milk to rear one calf, and, as such are unsuitable as house cows. at the other extreme we find the pure dairy breeds such as the Holstein and the ayrshire. Specialisation has had its consequences here as well. animals have been developed to give increasingly heavy yields, as margins for dairy farmers have become tighter and tighter. a modern cow of this type will produce a vast amount of milk each day, far more than you, as a smallholder, will be able to deal with. this level of production places heavy demands on the cows body, increasing the need for feed, and also the incidence of dietary and metabolic disorders, such as milk fever (calcium deficiency) and staggers (magnesium deficiency). the house cow needs to be a middleof-the-road kind of animal one that will give you sufficient milk to rear several calves and to serve the dairy requirements of you and your family, and one whose own calf will be a good quality beef animal either for home consumption or sale. thankfully, if you think outside the box, such cows are relatively easy to come by; every dairy cow in the country is bred from annually, and the vast majority of them are put to beef bulls. the resulting first cross offspring will be true dual-purpose animals, carrying the combined qualities of both parents. Just what you need!

If cattle keepIng Is a new experIence, you mIght consIder purchasIng a heIfer calf of the rIght type and rearIng her on untIl she Is old enough to calve and produce mIlk for you

our own preference is for animals sired by British Blue bulls from dairy breed dams, the best having been out of Jersey cows. the gentle, laid-back nature of both parents makes for a cow that is docile and easy to handle. add to that the excellent beef conformation of the British Blue, with the easy calving ability, small size and excellent milk quality of the Jersey, and you have the ideal smallholders cow. if cattle keeping is a new experience, you might consider purchasing a heifer calf of the right type and rearing her on until she is old enough to calve and produce milk for you. this would give ample opportunity to get used to handling cattle in general, and, in particular, time to build up a good relationship with your young cow, so that when the time does eventually come to milk her, you will be so familiar with one another that you are unlikely to experience any problems. However, the word eventually does give a clue to the downside of this way of getting started two years is quite a long time to wait before you get any milk! instead, you may prefer to dive in at the deep end by purchasing an in-calf heifer, or perhaps an older cow. in this case you would be well advised to approach a local livestock dealer. i have mentioned these individuals on a number of occasions in previous articles, and i cannot emphasise enough what useful contacts they can

be; as a smallholder, you may, now and then, find yourself with small groups of assorted animals to sell. this is at odds with the preference of most livestock buyers, who look for large groups of wellmatched beasts. Your friendly livestock dealer will probably be in contact with numerous small farmers like yourself, who have just a few animals to sell, and will be able to coordinate sales and find buyers, in addition to sourcing animals on your behalf. these small dealers are often smallholders themselves who have diversified into the buying and selling side of things to help make ends meet. So, assuming youve heard on the rural grapevine of an animal that may be suitable, you need to have a look at her, and try to decide if she is the one for you. Beginners and novices should always take an advisor with them to look at this, their first purchase preferably someone who wont get carried away by sentiment, and who will ensure that you dont make an unsuitable purchase on impulse! again, this is something with which your dealer friend can help, secure in the knowledge that youll probably pay him to transport the cow back to your own holding, anyway. talk to the vendor and ask sensible questions, but do not be over voluble you dont want him to find out how little you know about cattle! in addition to basic information regarding the breeding and the age of the cow, you also might want to ask the following: When did the cow calve? and is her calf included in the sale, or available by separate negotiation? if she is in-calf, you need to know when she is due, and what breed of bull was used. if she was served by ai (artificial

there are also a number of other things that you need to consider, the answers to which are largely dictated by common sense and a stockmans eye: look for a cow that is relatively lean. one that is overfat is going to put all her grub on her back, rather than making it into milk to go in your bucket. a milky cow should not be too heavy through the shoulder, and needs to have a good wide pelvis for easy calving. the cows udder should be well attached, nice and high between the back legs, and extending well forward, looking balanced. a big, droopy udder is best avoided either the cow has worked very hard or she is older than you are led to believe. also, check the udder thoroughly for any lumpiness or swellings that may indicate past or present infection (mastitis). Check that the teats are not blocked by drawing a little milk off each one if

insemination), make sure you get the bit of paper recording the ai mans visit. double-check that the ear tag number on the slip and the number in the cows ear match. Has she been confirmed in-calf by the vet? or is she just believed to be in-calf? Has she been milked before? and if so, is she used to being machine- or hand-milked? is she halter trained? if the answer is yes, then it will make your life simpler, but if the cow is docile enough, she should accept the halter and learn to lead very quickly. if you are looking at a younger animal, not yet in-calf, ask if she has been seen coming in season (bulling) regularly.

59

dont feel obliged to purchase the first animal you see, but, once you have made up your mind to buy, there are a number of things that need to be sorted out before you can take her home. obviously, you need to agree a price the first cow we ever bought was a bit too expensive, or so we thought. in the end we came to an agreement with the vendor that involved a reduction in the cash price, and the bartering of half a pig for the freezer. the most recent cow we bought was also overvalued, so we simply made a take-it-or-leave-it offer well below the

she tries to kick you while you are doing this, she is probably not the right cow for you!

asking price, which was accepted. next comes the red tape. Sadly, farming and livestock keeping is burdened with large quantities of the stuff, and buying a cow is no exception. You will need a holding number (CPH), which uniquely identifies your smallholding. You may have this already, but if not you need to contact the Rural Payments agency (or the Welsh assembly). Similarly, you will need a cattle herd number, obtainable from your local animal Health divisional office. the cow may also need to have a pre-movement test for bovine tuberculosis. this is not a universal requirement, but depends upon whereabouts in the uK you are based. Currently, all cattle movements in Wales are subject to these tests, as are large swathes of the western half of england, where the animal to be moved must have had a clear test within the last sixty days. You may need to do a bit of research to ascertain the exact requirements in your area, but any local cattle farmer should be able to tell you, as should your vet or the regional animal Health office. Cattle must also have individual animal passports or identification documents. You MuSt make sure that you get this, and double-check that the details on it match the cow you are planning to buy the tag numbers must agree, as should the breed details and the age. there are various bits of paper that need to be filled in, but as the rules are constantly changing, it is probably best to check up on this at the time of purchase. the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) will need to be notified of the movement from the vendors farm to your holding within three days. this can be done online, or via the post. good luck!

60

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

The Humble Bumble...

Back at the end of March my wife answered the door to take in a delivery from a courier. the parcel she received was very quickly deposited on the hall floor and she beat a hasty retreat because the box was buzzing angrily. this wasnt really surprising, as my parcel contained a live hive of bumblebees. harrod horticultural had just launched the hive as the latest in their range of beneficial nematodes, insects and habitats, and I just had to try one! at a time when the common honeybee seems to be increasingly under threat from an unknown cause a disease or poison that is killing off entire hives at an alarming rate I feel that we should all be doing our bit to help pollinators of all sorts to survive. the honeybee pollinates a large proportion of our food crops, so if it dies out we are in serious trouble. even ignoring the bigger picture, having an army of little helpers working for you on your fruit and veg patch can make a massive difference to your crops. My wife wouldnt entertain having the bees in our garden, as she has a real phobia about them, so it was set up on my allotments. Shortly after it arrived all my fruit trees were absolutely full of blossom, and the blooms were covered in eager bumblebees. It may be coincidence,

Beepol Garden hive

Mike Woolnough checks out a range of products designed to benefit the garden by making it work as a complete ecosystem the way nature intended
but the ratio of fruits set to the amount of blossom seems very high, even allowing for the very favourable weather conditions at the time. the harrod horticultural hive arrived well packed in a cardboard outer box with suitable warnings about the nature of the contents. When unpacked, the hive itself is a transparent plastic box within a cardboard box, which allows you to watch the activity of the bees inside if you open a top viewing slot. the only tricky part is actually opening up the hive to allow them to fly. You have to open the plastic door and insert a foam rubber bung tied to string into the hole, without allowing any bees to escape. You then position your hive where it will sit for the summer (out of reach of small fingers or inquisitive pets) and leave it for a while to allow the somewhat disgruntled bees to settle down again. You then open the flap in the lid, gently pull the string to remove the plug, and move slowly away. It really is as simple as that, and there is no further maintenance involved: the bees simply take care of themselves. Watching the bees coming and going, sometimes over quite dramatic distances, is fascinating, and spotting bumblebees on my plots gives me quite a satisfying feeling that they are probably my bees. By the end of april my bees had virtually filled their nest box with egg cells, allowing the hive numbers to expand quite dramatically. New female workers are constantly hatching to replace those that die, as their lifespan is only about a month. Bumblebees dont generally bother trying to gather pollen and nectar from flat, open flowers such as buttercups because all the other insects can get to these easily and empty them. I did, however, notice that early in the season my bees were feeding from dandelions, as little else was in flower. a bumblebees size and strengths mean that it can gain access to much more complex and difficult flowers, levering them open to get at the contents. It takes them a while to learn how to do this with a particular flower, so they then tend to stick to that one type for their gathering expeditions.

A courier delivered a box full of angry buzzing bees much to my wifes consternation! She hastily departed to another room while I unpacked the bees.

their lifetime is so short, and flowering seasons for each species similarly so, that a bumblebee may only feed from perhaps two types of flower during its life. In late summer the queen starts to lay eggs that will develop into new young queens and males, and after this she lays no more fertile eggs. the males emerge about a week before the new queens, and are lying in wait for the ladies outside the nest. after mating, the queens fly off to find a suitable hibernation hole, usually in a north-facing bank, where they remain until early the following spring when they will each found a new colony. Sadly, back at the old nest the queen and workers gradually die off as old age and lack of food take their toll. The Beepol Garden hive is available for 64.95 from Harrod Horticutural (www.harrod horticultural.com Tel: 0845 4025300).

The internal plastic beehive is transparent to allow you to watch the bees inside going about their everyday lives. The door to the right has to be opened and pegged back, and a foam rubber bung inserted to temporarily keep the bees shut inside.

The hive is now positioned inside one of my old chicken houses, to keep it safe from unwelcome visitors. The bright-yellow colouring and warning sign should stop anybody handling it if they go poking about where they shouldnt!

...and other Garden Friends

theRe aRe a multitude of other friends that can be encouraged to take up residence in your garden if you provide suitable homes for them. Some of them will help to pollinate your crops, whilst others will defend them from all manner of predators that may destroy them, given half a chance. Lets take a look at how we can help just a few of them

61

Solitary Bee hive

this beautifully built house will provide a luxurious home for solitary bees and other insects, and can be dismantled for cleaning, or to inspect the insects and the cells that they have built. Site it in a sheltered position that catches the early morning sun and see how quickly your visitors move in.

Bumblebee Nester

You dont have to buy a live colony of bumblebees although it will get you started straightaway. You could start by attracting a queen into your garden in early spring by placing this nester in a suitable position in early February and then waiting to see if you are lucky. Both this and the following bumblebee nest can be used year after year. Price: 23.00 from The Eden Project (www.edenproject.com Tel: 01726 811944).

Ladybird Mansion

Ladybirds provide critical help to the vegetable grower by eating aphids in their thousands. If you provide somewhere for the adults to safely overwinter they will get to work in your garden much earlier in the spring, as you dont have to wait for the young to hatch out. two windows at the side allow you to take a peek at your guests.

Red Mason Bee Nest Box

Price: 21.49 from Garden Nature (www.gardenature.co.uk Tel: 0844 3510987).

Pollinating Bee Log

hang this log in a quiet corner of your garden and you may well attract mason and other solitary bees to nest there. these non-swarming, non-aggressive loners are extremely good pollinators and will keep you fascinated as they make trips to and fro carrying cut pieces of leaf to line their nest. there are thirty nesting tubes of varying sizes buried in this insect hotel. Price: 13.95 from Harrod Horticultural (www.harrod horticultural.com Tel: 0845 4025300).

Price: 24.99 from The Green Gardener (www.greengardener.co.uk Tel: 01493 750061)

Mason bees are docile, safe with children and pets, and excellent pollinators of fruit trees, raspberries and early strawberries. this nest box is supplied with twenty-nine individual tubes, two sets of screws and plugs for mounting, and full instructions for siting your new box and caring for the bees. also available with red mason bee cocoons see website for details.

Price: 9.99 or 24.95 for three from C J Wildlife (www.birdfood.co.uk Tel: 01743 709545).

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SURPLUS EGGS
fed up with poached, boiled and fried? Jennie rutland comes up with ways of using up your surplus eggs and filling your freezer

YOLk
(ho, ho, ho!)
My favourite use for egg gluts is to cook them, making many delicious things and freezing them. this provides a freezer of usable products that can be popped out and defrosted perfect if you have a busy life or are just plain lazy like me. some recipes use only egg yolks so you may have surplus egg whites. use them up in these meringue recipes.

This Gluts no

one-minute Meringues
INGREDIENTS METHOD
1 egg white 300g (11oz) icing sugar

2 roll the mixture into little balls (they spread out) and pop them onto a microwaveable plate lined with greaseproof paper. 3 Zap them in your microwave on high for 1 minute and they will puff up into meringues.

these were made for us as kids by my mother, and are made in the microwave. they will store in an airtight container for weeks (or so im told, but not in my house!).

Pre-made pastry a jar of home-made lemon curd 3 egg whites 50g (2oz) caster sugar per single egg white

Lemon Meringue Pie

INGREDIENTS METHOD

1 Lightly whisk the egg whites until just frothy, then sieve in the icing sugar. Mix as for stiff icing.

1 Preheat your oven to 190C (375f, Gas 5). roll out the pastry, line your

chosen dish, prick the bottom and bake blind in the oven. 2 Whisk the egg whites till stiff, then add roughly half the sugar and whisk again. add the remaining sugar and gently fold in with a metal spoon. 3 remove your pastry case from the oven and turn it down to 150C (300f, Gas 2). spoon in generous quantities of lemon curd, and spread it evenly over the base before topping with your fluffy meringues. you could pipe your meringue onto the base but i just dollop it on. 4 Bake in the oven for 3545 minutes until the meringue is a lovely golden brown and hard on top. it will still be lovely and gooey in the middle.

soft. add them to the pastry case and pour over the egg mixture. 5 sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes until golden brown and just set. Quiches can be tested for readiness by poking a skewer/knife into the centre, and if it comes out clean it is cooked.

63

Quiche

a favourite for using up eggs. Make a batch and pop them in the freezer. Most recipes use cream, but mine doesnt and the overall taste is no different it just takes a little longer to set when cooking.

this is an american recipe and is in cups, not grams, but cup measures are easy and cheap to get hold of. i recommend having a set. you can add chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries, nuts a 1 /4 cup of anything is sufficient. if using cocoa powder for a chocolate muffin, use 1 /4 cup less flour and replace this with 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. 2 cups (500ml) plain flour 1 /2 cup sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 1 /2 tsp salt 1 cup milk (buttermilk is nice in muffins too) 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 1oz butter

Muffins

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

Pastry 3 eggs 300ml (101/2 fl oz) milk salt, pepper and mixed herbs a handful of grated cheese (optional) any fillings you like

METHOD

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 180C (350f, Gas 4). 2 Line your quiche dish with the pastry and bake blind. 3 Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the milk. season with salt, pepper and mixed herbs. 4 fry vegetables or other fillings until

1 Preheat the oven to 200C (400f, Gas 6). 2 Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly but not to become solid. Beat the eggs and the sugar until light and mix in the milk and vanilla. Pour the cooled butter into the egg mix gradually and mix well. if using fruit or chocolate chips add them at this stage before the dry ingredients. 3 add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until just incorporated (about 10 seconds), taking care not to overmix or your muffins will be dry and heavy. this needs to be a light batter and may appear lumpy, but this is oK. 4 Line a muffin tin with paper cases and scoop the batter into them. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

frittata

this is a great way to use up anything, and not just eggs. its a cross between an omelette and a quiche, and you can put anything into it. My daughters favourite uses leftover pasta. Just use your imagination.

64

SURPLUS EGGS
2 add the milk gradually while whisking. Continue until fully mixed and smooth (single cream texture for pancakes; double cream for yorkshire puddings). 3a (for pancakes) Heat some oil in a frying pan and add a ladleful of mixture, swirling the pan to distribute it evenly. Cook until golden, then flip over. a palette knife or spatula is handy to loosen the edges. stack pancakes as you make them with greaseproof paper between them. to keep them warm to serve in one go, place the plate over a pan of simmering water and stack as before. 3b (for yorkshire puddings) Preheat the oven to 230C (450f, Gas 8). Drizzle oil into the pan/tray you are using and place it in the oven to warm through. once made, pour the batter into a jug and pour it into the hot pan/tray. Place it back in the oven for 2025 minutes until golden brown and well risen. Do not keep opening the oven or your yorkshire pudding will not rise. Make lots of little individual puddings or 1 large one, or why not try toad-in-the hole. all freeze perfectly. this is a french recipe from Brittany, where they use prunes but they can be substituted with apricots, plums or cherries. 150g (51/2 oz) plain flour 125g (41/2 oz) sugar 4 whole eggs, beaten 500ml (18 fl oz) whole milk a dash of rum 200g (7oz) pitted prunes

METHOD

eggs a handful of grated cheese (optional) salt and pepper

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 180C (350f, Gas 4). 2 Mix the flour in a bowl with the sugar, make a well in the centre and add the 4 whole eggs. Whisk until you get a smooth batter. 3 add the milk gradually, whisking continuously. add the rum and stir it in. 4 Butter a flan dish (25cm is ideal) and pour in the batter. add the fruit, pushing it under the surface slightly and pop in the oven for between 45 minutes and 1 hour until golden brown and fully cooked (insert a skewer or knife, as for sponge cake).

1 Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add a splash of oil and cook any veg you are using until soft and just starting to colour. add vegetables (like spinach) just before you add the eggs, and cook just long enough to wilt. add cooked pasta at the same time as the eggs. 2 Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the vegetables in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the base is a lovely golden colour. 3 sprinkle over the grated cheese and pop the pan under a medium-hot grill for 35 minutes or until the frittata is golden and just firm.

eggy Bread
METHOD

a firm favourite with kids and a late sunday morning breakfast in our household served with crispy bacon and maple syrup, or a sneaky afternoon snack served with cinnamon sugar. 1 Beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk (just enough to water it down a little). 2 Pop your bread into the mix and turn it over to coat the other side, but do not let it sit in the mix because it will become soggy. 3 fry the bread lightly on both sides until golden. you do not need oil, just a good non-stick frying pan.

far Breton
INGREDIENTS

Pancakes and yorkshire Puddings

Pancakes and yorkshire puddings freeze exceptionally well and making them in advance saves a lot of effort. Just take them out and reheat.

slice and serve hot or cold with salad or bread and butter.

serve as you wish. toppings that work for pancakes will work for eggy bread too!

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs 200ml (7 fl oz) milk 110g (4oz) flour (for pancakes) 140g (5oz) flour (for yorkshire puddings) a pinch of salt

METHOD

1 Put the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour, break the eggs into the well and gently whisk them until all the flour is mixed in.

66

THE JAMMY BODGER

Julys a great time to be a Jam Maker

The sofT fruiT season is well underway, with blueberries, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, and all the currants ripe for the picking. As well as making jam, why not try making conserves that have whole fruit suspended in a syrup made of sugar and the fruity juices? Conserves taste great drizzled over ice cream, dolloped on top of cheesecake, or squeezed between meringues. for some reason they seem posh and remind me of french pastries, cream horns, and custard tarts. And why not make them adults only by adding a couple of tablespoons of fruity booze after the setting point has been reached? for example, add Grand Marnier or Cointreau for an orange tang, cassis for alcoholic blackcurrant, framboise for boozy raspberry, and schnapps for a hit of pretty much any fruit. These boozy fruits can add yet another fruit flavour, plus a touch of extravagance too. i was so excited about jazzing up my jam pan that i just couldnt wait for the fruity season to start, so i bought strawberries, blueberries and raspberries from the supermarket and prepared to make my first conserves of the year. imbued with confidence, as i successfully made conserves last year, i was shocked when they failed to work. The strawberries completely disintegrated as soon as they were warmed, the blueberries waited until they came to the boil before collapsing, and the raspberries didnt even make it as far as the jam pan. so what went wrong? i thought maybe id heated the fruit too quickly, but i tried again, and again, and each time the fruit collapsed. so then i tried a different method By making a sugar syrup first and then introducing the fruit, i hoped the fruit would stay whole. Never having made a sugar syrup i couldnt work out why the sugar hadnt melted after an hour. instinctively, i stuck my finger in it. i dont know what i was thinking, or why i did it, but i definitely wont be doing it again! i ended up holding my

Mel sellings (aka The Jammy Bodger) gets her finger burned concocting adult fruit conserves, and learns a few facts about shop-bought soft fruit
finger under the cold tap for thirty minutes, clever! i did pour the sugar over the strawberries, but it set like a rock. it took two days of soaking the bowl in cold water for it to be cleaned, the strawberries came out white and anaemic, and it took two weeks for my finger to heal. right, thinking cap on. The sugar couldnt melt because it didnt give out any liquid, and the lemon juice i mixed in wasnt enough to make a syrup. so i added two tablespoons of water to make a kind of thick wallpaper paste, and

over a very low heat i tried again. The sugar melted all well and good, but still the fruit (blueberries this time) collapsed before i could even get them to a boil, let alone set. right, thinking cap back on. Pooling my knowledge of jam making and my observations of failed conserve making eventually produced two successful conserves and the following conclusions: fruits bought out of season and grown in polytunnels lack pectin and arent as hardy as their outdoor counterparts. hence the fruit collapses too quickly for conserves, and needs added pectin to even set. shop-bought strawberries have the added problem of being too large to go in whole, and need hulling to remove their white tops, therefore they end up with too much of the cut sides exposed and completely collapse. By adding pectin over and above the usual lemon juice you can make the conserve set quicker, which helps the fruit stay whole. Pectin can be added using jam sugar, pectin sachets, or liquid pectin, or by mixing a lowpectin fruit with a higher one, i.e. blueberry and redcurrant conserve. A spatula is your best friend. it enables you to stroke the fruit as you fold in the sugar or sugar syrup. raspberries are probably never going to be stable enough to make a conserve, although i shall try again later in the year. BuT (and its a particularly big BuT!) all my fruity syrups, which werent worthy of the name conserves, tasted

67

great. so dont be deterred. even if your fruit collapses and you end up with a jam or syrup, the flavour you get means that conserves are still worth making: particularly if you wait until mid July when the British fruity season is well underway and you can pick sturdier fruit from pick your owns up and down the country. im going to keep trying, so here are the recipes that i know i will be trying again. in the case of each recipe, for the presyrup (shop-bought fruit) and pre-soak (pick your own or home-grown fruit) see the MeThoDs below.

raspberry and Cherry Brandy Conserve/Jam

INGREDIENTS

if the fruit doesnt hold up, this certainly makes a great jam. 650g (1lb 7oz) raspberries 650g (1lb 7oz) jam sugar The juice of 1 lemon (or the seeds of 1 pomegranate and the juice of 2 limes) 3 tbsp cherry brandy

Blueberry and Limoncello Conserve

INGREDIENTS
650g (1lb 7oz) blueberries 650g (1lb 7oz) jam sugar The juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp limoncello

The perfumey flavours complement each other perfectly.

Blueberry, strawberry, Vanilla and Cassis Conserve

INGREDIENTS
300g (11oz) blueberries 400g (14oz) strawberries 700g (1lb 9oz) jam sugar 2 tbsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp cassis (NB. if you arent using jam sugar you will need to add 1 or 2 sachets of pectin or liquid pectin. Check the packet instructions and be generous.)

strawberry and Cassis Conserve

INGREDIENTS

700g (1lb 9oz) strawberries 700g (1lb 9oz) jam sugar The juice of 1 lemon 3 tbsp cassis (or a mixture of cassis and vanilla extract)

Conserve Pre-syrup
METHOD

1 rinse and drain your fruit well, picking off any stalks, and slicing the fruit if its too large.

68

THE JAMMY BODGER

further info

STERILISING Wash, rinse, and drain your jars and lids, then place them on an oven tray in a cold oven, and heat at 110C (225F, Gas ) for 30 minutes, then leave the jars in the oven to keep warm. Sterilise your tongs, lids, ladle and funnel for 20 seconds in a saucepan of boiling water, then place them on a cake rack to dry. Make sure your lids are face down when drying. Place three saucers in the fridge for testing for set.

Pour the sugar into the jam pan and add a couple of tablespoons of water and lemon juice (if using). There should be enough liquid to make a thick paste. 3 heat very slowly over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted and there are no grains in it. 4 Take the jam pan off the heat and pour in the fruit, stirring very gently so that the fruit is covered by the syrup. 5 Proceed to Altogether Now below.

TESTING FOR SET When you think your jam has reached setting point (anything from 220 minutes of steady boiling): TEST 1 Hold a tablespoon of jam away from the rising heat, wait for 20 seconds, then turn the spoon on its side. If the jam drips off in a jellified lump or two it is starting to set, so move on to Test 2. If it drips off like water, heat the jam for another couple of minutes before testing again.

Conserve Pre-soak
METHOD

1 rinse and drain the fruit well, then layer the fruit and sugar in the jam pan, stirring gently to ensure the fruit is covered. 2 Proceed to Altogether Now below. 1 set aside for a couple of hours or over night until the fruit has released its juices. 2 heat the jam pan gently, making sure the sugar has completely dissolved. if you are using pectin sachets or liquid pectin add it now. 3 increase the heat until you get a rolling boil. Check to see if it has set after 2 minutes, but you are only looking for a loose set. 4 The conserve is ready if, when you hold a spoonful of the syrup out of the heat for 20 seconds and turn the spoon on its side, the syrup drips off the spoon in jellified lumps, running together rather than dripping off like water.

Altogether Now

5 Take the jam pan off the heat and stir gently in one direction to disperse the foam, then set it aside for 15 minutes for the conserve to thicken, so that when you pot the jam all the fruit doesnt rise to the top.

METHOD (POTTING)

TEST 2 Take the jam pan off the heat and place a tablespoon of jam on a cold saucer. After a minute, run your finger through the jam: if it wrinkles and stays separate it is set; if it doesnt, return the pan to the heat and boil for a few more minutes before testing again.

1 use a spoon to skim off any scum. Take your time, otherwise it will s how in the syrup. 2 if you are using alcohol or adding flavourings, stir them in now. 3 Ladle the conserve into jars, making sure to get an equal amount of fruit and syrup in each. 4 Twist the lids on tightly, then place the jars on a cake rack to cool. use within 6 months this should not be a problem. As my conserves were actually syrups, ive added a little extra fresh fruit to boost their fruitiness. Perfect uses for them include custard tart, sticky meringue, and baked cheesecake. Check out the photos if youre not convinced.

NEWS

PLEDGE 4 VEG
Many schools are doing fantastic things with the help of their pupils. It would be appropriate to mention ALL the good work done by schools but it would be impossible, so heres a story about the pupils of St Christophers CE High School in Accrington, Lancashire. They wanted local residents to grow some of their own produce as part of their Pledge 4 Veg campaign, but were concerned that the towns many terraced houses might limit the viability of the project, believing it would be achievable only with large gardens. The pupils wrote to local businesses and charities and sourced compost from SITA, but a letter from twelve-year-old Elliott Goff struck gold. He wrote to Barton Grange Garden Centre in Preston and they were keen to provide seeds and pots. The Year 8 pupils presented their idea to the local council, achieving their backing and launched Pledge 4 Veg at their Christmas Fair. They secured publicity in local newspapers, football programmes and on radio broadcasts, and attended local primary schools, gave assemblies, addressed teachers meetings and produced

PLUG INTO SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Every year seventy people die in the UK through electrocution in the garden. Consequently, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) is campaigning to make people aware of RCD (Residual Current Device) protection. An RCD is a device to protect you from fatal electric shocks if you touch something live like a bare wire. It is particularly important when using mains-powered equipment outdoors. The campaign encourages gardeners to check for RCD protection in fuse boxes (consumer units) or buy plug-in versions costing about 10 in stores. Visit www.esc.org.uk/public/ for more information, or visit www.esc.org.uk/ public/real-life-stories/?no_cache=1 to see real-life evidence of why an RCD is not a luxury.

a 50-second infomercial Choose Veg to promote the campaign online. They also persuaded people to pledge at a local supermarket and at Accrington Stanley football club. Now the mayor has signed up together with eminent primatologist Jane Goodall, celebrity chef Nigel Haworth, and the squads of Accrington Stanley and Blackburn Rovers football clubs. Teacher Wendy Litherland said, Weve had the backing of the whole community, especially the primary schools and the fans of Accrington Stanley. Well be giving these pots out to everyone who attends our

Summer Eco Fair on Saturday 11th June. As editor of Home Farmer, Ill be there, too, to see how it goes. Small changes really can add up to a large effect. Key Pledge 4 Veg into your search engine to see the children on YouTube.

HOME FARMER SEEKS

I like checking out the classifieds for a bargain, but by the end of the month the items I want are gone. Gofarmer is an Internet farm market or a live set of classifieds, so avoids this problem. You buy from the individual whose ad you read and not the site, so you can cross-question the seller. Try out www.gofarmer.com for anything from a rare breed to a farm B&B.

STOP PRESS
Ten farmers a week in England are giving up milk production because of little or no profits, and Berkshire has lost a third of its dairy farmers over the past five years. Fears are rife that this summer could see the worst hosepipe ban in five years, and the main impact will be felt by farmers and growers, who could see a reduction in crop yield according to the National Farmers Union. Sales of rabbit meat have risen 350% over the last year, and as rabbit is not a UK staple food and rabbit farming is not prolific here, the meat is not readily available in supermarkets. Consequently, a Lincolnshire property developer is now proposing the development of six rabbit battery farms across the UK.

EVENTS

GREAT ECCLESTON & DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SHOW

16/17 JULY 20111
Great Eccleston Show is working with Home Farmer to bring the joys of growing veg, keeping chickens and making great food to this years visitors. The event already attracts over 5,000 exhibits and up to 40,000 visitors each year, and with something for everyone, including the kids, the show attracts both townsfolk and country dwellers alike and is now the biggest two-day show in the North West. Great Eccleston Show gives visitors an excellent demonstration of all that is good in the heartland of the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. On Saturday the main ring will be full of some of the UKs finest livestock, with dairy cattle, shire horses, sheep and pigs. There are also some fantastic displays of poultry, pigeons and rabbits, and on Sunday a stunning display of beef cattle, as well as light horses, goats and rare breeds. Tractors always feature heavily at Great Eccleston, and this year is no exception with a wonderful display of vintage tractors and steam-driven machinery. The modern machinery always takes pride of place by the main ring, but the most powerful machines are in the lower field during the Tractor Pulling Competition. Many local food producers are on show in the Food Hall, and your taste buds will tingle when you sample their produce. Theres everything from home-made fudge and sticky toffee puddings, to ostrich meat and black pudding, and the marquees around the showground display some of the finest local talent, including flowers, vegetables, art, photography, handicrafts and baking. The vast array of entries is

always a feast for the eyes, with both young and old involved. The finest of Lancashire skills are also on display in the Made in Lancashire marquee, with producers of jewellery, wooden toys and other handicrafts showing the quality of work produced around Lancashire.

BEE-KEEPING EVENT
The Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton, Gloucestershire Home of the Pudding Club is hosting a Bee-keeping Weekend from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st August 2011. Led by Chris Wells, who lectures through the North Cotswold branch of The British Beekeepers Association, the weekend will include an opportunity to view all the equipment, will include a visit to an apiary with a chance to see what happens in the hive, and will give sound advice on how to site, start and care for a small apiary. He will also discuss processing honey and beeswax, and there will be the opportunity to taste various honeys. Cost for the weekend is 270 per person sharing a double/ twin room and includes dinner on Friday and Saturday, two nights accommodation, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, a light lunch on Saturday, morning coffee and afternoon tea on Saturday, workshop sessions in the hotel and at Chris Wells Apiary in Mickleton on Saturday and Sunday and the use of bee suits, veils and gloves. Contact Jill Coombe on 01386 438429, or email: Jill@puddingclub.com for further information mention Home Farmer for a generous 10% discount courtesy of Jill.

This years Home Farmer section will be packed with ideas and inspirational talks to get you making that first step into growing or rearing your own! Everything from ideas on what to plant and attracting bees to the garden to making your own sausages will be featured, together with encouragement for anyone planning a bigger project such as keeping chickens, sheep or goats! Other exciting attractions will include a Butter Making Competition and an attempt to make the biggest sausage in Lancashire! This will be followed by a talk from Macclesfield-based company Designasausage on making your own bangers at home. There will also be a talk by local company Happy Chicks about rearing happy chickens in your own garden. All talks and demonstrations will take place over both days and The Good Life Press will be there with a wide selection of books to free the smallholder, home farmer and good lifer in us all. A fantastic day out for all the family, so join us on the 16th and 17th July 2011 and take part in something GREAT! Check out www.greatecclestonshow.co.uk for details and to apply for tickets online.

70

BENS WINE DIARIES

Ben Hardy loves the spirit of adventure, but this month he makes strawberry wine, and its refreshing ros crispness is undeniably one of lifes pleasing certainties

WINEMAKING
It Is July and summer is now in full swing. shades, shorts, and suncream will all be donned. Ice lolly vans are doing a brisk trade, riverside bars spill out onto the pavement, and everywhere there is a general feeling of slowing down and relaxing. Or that is the plan. In fact, if it is like most years, the sky will remain dull steel in hue, and I will be tempted to put the central heating on. However, do not despair: there are plenty of winemaking opportunities to take your mind off the disappointing British weather. July is my busiest winemaking month, beating even september. last year I had to increase my stock of sealable buckets to a grand total of three. this is because I had redcurrant, gooseberry and strawberry wine all on the go at the same time. later in the month I made blackcurrant as well; I only avoided making raspberry because the fruit stayed in the freezer for another three weeks. In total I made thirty-six bottles of wine in July 2010, and I have high hopes each one will be delicious, and each will have its own story to tell. As well as being very good indeed, the other advantage of all the July wines is that each is simplicity in itself to make. I am torn between all of them for the subject of this article, but for its attractive colour, the fact that it is regularly voted most popular at my annual wine parties, and for its sheer essence of summer, I will concentrate on strawberry wine. the first stage in making strawberry wine is, of course, the picking process. For me, this wine is one of my most expensive because I have not yet tried growing strawberries, though I do have a ground covering of tiny wild ones, and I have to rely on a pick your own farm. But even with this downside, it is a wine I have made every year since 1998 because it is just so good, and you can buy nothing like it in the shops. there has only ever been once when it

Summer Strawberry

METHOD

went wrong, but that is a story for another article yet to be written, which I shall label the Frankenstein Guide to Winemaking. Even that batch tasted good, although its consistency left something to be desired. though not essential, choose a sunny day to pick your strawberries. I have turned up at the pick your own farm in wellies and a waterproof before now, but that somehow removed any joy from the process. If you get a cloudless sky there is little better than scrabbling round the plants, and picking large red fruit to put in your basket as you listen to small children squealing with pleasure as they find a plant laden with strawberries. It is a quick process to get all the fruit that you need sometimes too quick. the other wines to make in July all take significantly longer to harvest blackcurrants in particular but to get four pounds of strawberries, you can be done in less than half an hour. On a pleasant July day, twenty minutes does not seem enough, which is why I usually end up picking (and paying for) about twice what I need. I also add a handful of wild strawberries from our garden, but that is for luck rather than taste. It helps me to believe that I have contributed to the growing process for this wine.

Though noT essenTial, choose a sunny day To pick your sTrawberries. i have Turned up aT The pick your own farm in wellies and a waTerproof before now, buT ThaT somehow removed any joy from The process

1.8kg (4lb) strawberries 1.4kg (3lb) sugar 3.5 litres (6 pints) water 1 sachet of yeast 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 tsp pectolase 1 /2 tsp tannin powder (or half a mug of black tea)

strawberry Wine
INGREDIENTS

strawberry wine is surprisingly dry. Most people expect a sweet drink when I first offer them this, but it is akin to a refreshing ros wine. I think it is partly the surprise element that makes most drinkers so enthusiastic. there is nothing syrupy or cloying within the taste. this is one of the reasons why, when advising people who are just starting to make their own wine, I tell them to begin with either blackberry or strawberry. Both are delicious and easy to make. One stage I refer to above is resterilising the bucket. this is my sixth article for Home Farmer, and I have not yet written about the sterilisation process.

1 Put the strawberries into a sealable bucket and mash them with a potato masher. 2 Add the sugar and 2.25 litres (4 pints) of boiling water. stir it all round until the sugar has dissolved. At this point it will look like a special effects prop from a particularly gory horror film. 3 Wait 24 hours, then strain the liquid into a demijohn, keeping the crushed strawberries in another container. I use a large stainless steel pan for this, although another bucket would be equally acceptable. 4 Add 1.25 litres (2 pints) of tap water to the container holding the strawberry pulp and stir it all around. 5 Clean and re-sterilise your original bucket. 6 sieve the liquid from the strawberries into the bucket, this time throwing the strawberries out. Also pour the liquid currently in your demijohn back into the bucket. (there is no magic about keeping the original liquid in a demijohn; it is the most convenient place to store it during this interim stage.) 7 Add the yeast, nutrient, pectolase, and tannin (or tea), and stir it all around. 8 seal the bucket and keep it in a warm place for about 5 days, stirring the liquid once or twice daily. 9 Pour the liquid into a demijohn, and fit your bung and air-trap. At this stage the wine should be an opaque red it will clear over the next month or so. 10 Between two and three months after starting the wine, transfer the liquid off its sediment into a new demijohn, and top up with a syrup made with the usual ratio (6oz sugar to every pint of water). you will probably need three-quarters of that. 11 Bottle in January or later, and drink when summer descends.

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72

BENS WINE DIARIES

Many winemakers would be very cross with me about this omission, because it really is one of the most important stages of making wine. unfortunately, it is also the most tedious, and I didnt want to start my writing career by sending everyone to sleep. However, six articles in, I think that now is probably the time for you to read the boxout on the right.

sterilisation
the recipe until it does. And in the meantime, you will have several bottles to help you to decide what could make it even better.

OTHER JOBS

My other wine jobs this month will be racking the rhubarb wine I started in May, and bottling the citrus wine I began making in January. When I racked the citrus wine in March it was rather fullon in taste. think alcoholic grapefruit concentrate, and you will have some idea. Im hoping that by diluting it with sugar and water at the racking stage it will have matured into something nicer. Each time I make this wine I reduce the number of grapefruit that I use because that is always the dominant flavour overwhelming the oranges, lemons and limes. this year I put in two grapefruit for a double batch. Next year I shall reduce it to one. that is one of the joys of making and recording your own wine: you get to experiment from year to year. If something doesnt fully work, adapt

When making wine, you must ensure that the equipment you use is bacteria free. This is relatively easy to do. You need to buy a tub of sodium metabisulphite from a home brew shop. Dissolve a teaspoon of this into a pint of cold water. Use the solution to cover every surface of each piece of equipment you are going to use. This includes buckets, demijohns, bottles, tubing, potato mashers, wooden spoons the lot. Actually, I dont bother to sterilise chopping boards or weighing scales, using the logic that my fruit is not sterilised itself, and boiling water should sort out any natural yeast the fruit retains. Sterilising buckets, demijohns and bottles requires a lot of careful swilling around, and it is important everything has been rinsed carefully before you start the process, because otherwise your sterilising solution goes soapy. After I have finished with the sterilising solution, I always keep it to one side in case there is something I have forgotten to cover. I then repeat the process, but this time with boiling water that contains no sodium metabisulphite. I dont know if this is important or not, but I convince myself that by using boiling water I take away any traces of chemical taste that might have been left by the initial sterilising process. A word of warning, however: just this week I have destroyed a demijohn by doing this. I brought a demijohn down from our cold attic and poured boiling water into it. While swilling the boiling water around, I heard a loud crack. I took my hand away from the bottom of the demijohn, which promptly crashed to the floor, and I ended up with warm, wet feet. This is the first time in thirteen years that this has happened, but be aware that it might.

74

FORGOTTEN FOODS

In 1950S SUFFolk, pea soup was never a starter dish or a light lunch it was a full-blown, gut-busting meal for two adults and five or six large, hungry boys, all produced for pennies and guaranteed to keep you going when the easterly gales swept in across the coastal marshes, having built up their aggression all the way from Siberia. Served with slices of boiled ham or pork hock and delicious, fluffy, suet dumplings, this is peasant food in the truest sense. Sometimes you may come across a chef-inspired pea soup, probably made with fresh garden peas and mint, and served cold, but as a society we have turned our backs on this dish and many others like it because they are redolent of a past poverty and well-heeled modern society likes to put such things behind it.

Today we revere peasant foods from all over the world, but our own rich heritage includes many of our own, and none more rightfully so than the humble pea soup, says Peter Underwood
HISTORIC ROOTS

PEa SOuP

Ham hock gives the soup a saltier flavour.

In fact, pea soup made, typically, from dried marrowfat or split peas has found a home amongst the peasant classes of many cultures, and it probably has the longest pedigree of any dish. Eaten since the time of ancient Greece, pea soup even gets a mention in Aristophanes The Birds, and some sources reckon street vendors in ancient Athens were selling hot pea soup some five hundred years before the birth of Christ. In French Canada, yellow pea soup is a traditional dish using whole yellow peas, with salt pork and herbs, and in Germany several wrste (or sausages) will accompany pea soup as well as some dark bread. Dutch pea soup is served with rye bread and smoked bacon, and is a thick stew of green split peas, pork, onions, leeks, and carrots. Slices of smoked sausage are added a few minutes before serving.

75

Most of the Scandinavian countries also share a pea soup as part of their culture, although they serve up mustard alongside the dish so that diners can stir it in to taste. In this country, many regions have their own version of pea soup, especially in the eastern counties and the north West, and its close but poorer relation, mushy peas has retained its popularity in fish and chip shops from Yorkshire to london. It is claimed that the nursery rhyme, which speaks of: Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, Nine days old.

The night before you plan to cook the soup, place all the peas in a bowl and cover them with cold water, leaving them to soak overnight. Use bicarbonate of soda to ensure the peas are properly softened. After overnight soaking, the peas look like peas again.

My own pea soup is a coastal one and, i suspect, has its roots in scandinavian and dutch cultures

first appeared in 1765. It is almost always seen as a dish of the poor and gets a mention in Victorian literature as the typical food of an impoverished household. Where it has held on, it is usually in working-class industrial areas, and it became an apocryphal joke that

one senior labour politician, on a visit to a fish and chip shop, saw the mushy peas and asked for some guacamole. Pea soups association with the poor probably came about because peas were easy to cultivate and meat was often too costly for the working classes. My own pea soup is a coastal one and, I suspect, has its roots in Scandinavian and Dutch cultures. our part of Suffolk was one of the first ports of call for the Vikings, and I was born just ten miles from the Sutton Hoo burial site of a Viking king in his longboat. The coastal ports have always had close connections with the Dutch across the north Sea, and my ancestors were probably smuggling in Dutch gin through our rivers and creeks and across the marshes for centuries.

It is based around a ham or pork hock. Both seem to have been used in our house, and, to this day, I switch between fancying one or the other. The ham gives a sharper and saltier soup, but the pork has a softer and quite distinct flavour. The hock and you can buy one for less than 2 in a decent butchers and even some supermarkets is there at the beginning and the end of the recipe. It creates the stock and is then removed when cooked, allowed to cool, skinned and sliced, and served cold with the hot soup. It uses whole, dried, marrowfat peas rather than split peas, and the skins become part of the texture of the soup. You could use green split peas but I never feel they are quite right.

Rinse the hock and place it in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover.

Cover the hock again with cold water, adding the two onions with just the loose skin removed and the tops and bottoms trimmed.

Simmer for an hour and a half or until the hock is cooked and shrinking away from the bones.

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FORGOTTEN FOODS

Serves 4 THE SoUP: 500g dried marrowfat peas 1 hock either bacon or pork 2 onions 1 medium-sized swede 4 good-sized carrots 1 medium parsnip (optional) 1 /2 pint chicken stock Salt and black pepper to taste

Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS

THE DUMPlInGS: 100g suet (grated fresh from the butcher or in a commercial packet) 200g self-raising flour A pinch of salt and pepper Cold water to mix

Serve with one or two dumplings to each portion and a few slices of hock.

METHOD

1 The night before you plan to cook the soup, place all the peas in a bowl and cover them with cold water, leaving them to soak overnight. In the old days bicarbonate of soda was often added to the water to ensure the peas were properly softened, and we sometimes do the same. 2 Rinse the hock and place it in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring it to the boil and discard the water. 3 Cover the hock again with cold water, adding the two onions with just the loose skin removed and the tops and bottoms trimmed. If using a pork hock add salt and pepper; if using a bacon hock just add pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 11/2 hours or until the hock is cooked and shrinking away from the bones. 4 While the hock is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Dice the swede, slice the carrots into rings (cutting the larger ones in half), and do the same with the parsnip, although we didnt use one with this recipe. 5 Remove the hock and the onions and set the hock aside to cool. 6 Add the prepared vegetables to the cooking water in the pan and drain and rinse the peas, adding them to the pan too, followed by the chicken stock. Bring the pan to the boil and season again to taste. 7 Simmer for a further 34 hours, stirring and checking the liquid levels at regular intervals, as the peas absorb liquid and the soup will get steadily thicker. Just add boiling water as required. 8 Check the seasoning again towards the end of the cooking process, as the peas will absorb much of the salt. 9 As the soup is nearing the end of its cooking time, make the dumplings by putting all the ingredients into a

10

11

12 13

bowl and slowly add cold water while mixing with a fork until you have a sticky but firm dough. Separate it into eight pieces, rolling them lightly in flour to form balls. once the vegetables are all cooked and soft, take a potato masher and mash down the mixture in the saucepan. Stir it again and ensure it is sufficiently liquid to enable it to simmer for a further 20 minutes without catching on the bottom of the pan. Add more water to achieve this or, if you want to be super-economic, remove half the thick mixture and keep it for another meal. You can then add boiling water to the remaining mixture in the pan until it is sufficiently liquid to simmer without burning. As the mixture comes back to a simmer, drop in the dumplings and place the lid back on the saucepan for 20 minutes. Skin and cut the hock into thin slices and arrange them on a plate. After the dumplings are cooked, serve into large bowls with one or two dumplings to each portion and a few slices of hock.

Skin and slice the hock into thin pieces and arrange them on a plate.

Even I cant drink wine with pea soup, as it is essentially a complete dish, so a glass of water is about as good as it gets. But you dont need anything with this glorious comfort food, and you will be hard pushed to find room for a starter or dessert. That is why this is peasant food: made for the poor and designed to stick to your stomach lining. The entire cost of a meal that would serve four people twice if you keep half back when you add the dumplings, would be less than 1 per head. We often add smoked sausage to take the place of the hock meat on the second days serving a reflection of the Dutch version of pea soup. Finally, can I briefly mention what I regard as the poor relation to pea soup mushy peas. These are also dried marrowfat peas, which are first soaked overnight in water and then simmered, sometimes with a meat stock but more often with sugar and salt. Quality can vary enormously, and they hardly qualify as a forgotten food for anyone who visits fish and chip shops in the north of the country, as they are a traditional northern accompaniment to fish and chips. Pie and peas is still general fare in the north, although londons pie and pea shops are now all virtually gone. The Aussies apparently like a pie floater, served with mushy peas and tomato ketchup after a night on the beer. In Yorkshire, nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and parts of lincolnshire they are often served as a snack on their own, and we first came across this habit in Burnley on a bleak new Years Day some twenty-five years ago, when it was the only food on offer in the only cafe that was open. I even ate a mushy pea fritter in Portsmouth once, so I have tried them and even sort of enjoyed them in various places, but dont mistake mushy peas for a proper pea soup.

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78

PICNICS

EatINg al frESCo
Whether on a glorious day in the country or a rainswept day on the coast, a picnic is a true summer delight (no, really!), and Pat Joy shares a few of her own picnic essentials
I absolutely adore picnics, and I hope that I am never too old to enjoy them. although we have appreciated many idyllic picnics in fields on absolutely beautiful days and under glorious skies, we have also sat in cars on the coast overlooking twenty-foot waves breaking over the sea wall, and all that in the middle of July too! I know that the english summer can be maddening, but picnics never are, and tomato soup together with ham rolls (they have to be on white bread too!) as you look through the windscreen are still enjoyable and often a wonderful childhood memory for us. I prefer a planned picnic with time to start on all the different grub at least a few days before the event rather than ending up with a last-minute rush, but I am not against spontaneity if an unexpected sunny day presents itself. Far be it from Pat Joy to be a killjoy! of course, the needs of each family will be different, but for me a picnic would be a less satisfying occasion if certain foods were excluded from the menu, and in this respect I have gone with our own usual suspects.

/2 kg (1lb) sausage meat (make it up to a pound with chunks of bacon and pork shoulder) 60g (2oz) breadcrumbs 1 medium-sized onion
1

sausage Meat loaf

an absolute essential as a focus, in the same way that a sunday joint is the centrepiece of any sunday roast!

INgrEDIENtS

salt and pepper to taste anchovy essence or garlic pure (both optional)

79

MEtHoD

1 Fry the bacon and pork with the garlic until soft. 2 blitz the carrot/red pepper and onion with the cooked bacon, pork and garlic. 3 Place in a large bowl and mix all the ingredients, together with any seasonings (I love Worcestershire sauce and anchovy pure with a little sage, but most herbs will go well). 4 spoon the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper and level it out. 5 Place the tin inside a larger roasting tin and pour in hot water to halfway up the smaller loaf tin. 6 Cook in a preheated oven at 180C (350F, Gas 4) for 13/4 hours, or until golden brown, when it has shrunk away from the sides. I always tuck foil over the tin for the first hour, then remove it. there will be fat around the cooked loaf (and some folk pour it away), but if it is going in the freezer, the juices will keep it moist, and you can always scrape some off when you take it out of the tin, ready to slice. I have to say I read the contents of some bought pt and meat loaf recently, and the preservatives used frightened me. With this you know just what you are feeding your family.

2 crushed garlic cloves 1 carrot or 1 red pepper (to help towards your 5 a day) 1 or 2 skinned tomatoes 1 egg tomato pure a dash (or three) of Worcestershire sauce

MEtHoD

125g (1/4 lb) sardines, tuna or mackerel (from a tin is fine) 60g (2oz) butter 90g (3oz) breadcrumbs 300g (10oz) cream cheese the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

any pt is always welcome at a picnic, and I find this one goes down particularly well. this can be cooked. If cooking I add an egg and cook using a bain-marie (as for the above loaf).

INgrEDIENtS

sardine (or tuna or Mackerel) Pt

1 Melt the butter and mix it with the breadcrumbs. 2 drain the fish and mash it thoroughly (keeping any oil in case it needs a drop when mixed). 3 Mash the cream cheese with the lemon juice and zest and add any other herbs you wish parsley goes well if well chopped. If you are not cooking it, simply mash everything together now and you are finished! 4 If cooking, spoon the mixture into a loaf tin lined with cling film and place it in the fridge (or the freezer if making it a few days in advance). For cooking I add an egg and mix everything well together, then spoon it into a buttered 1lb loaf tin. Cook it in water as for the above loaf in a preheated oven at 180C (350F, Gas 4) for 1 hour until it shrinks from the sides of the tin and is firm to the touch. 5 allow to cool and then place into the fridge or freezer, but wrap it well in greaseproof paper and foil if freezing. It will keep for a week in the fridge. this is always a great treat at picnics eaten with crusty bread or rolls.

Potato salad (and dressings)

a salad (or indeed, several salads) is always a welcome addition to any summer meal, and picnics are no exception. In addition to a potato salad, a container of salad will be very welcome.

80

PICNICS
I prefer not to chop it up, as the goodness apparently disappears rather quickly, but people can do that for themselves at the picnic anyway. you could use a little of the same dressing or any dressing of your own choice.

MEtHoD

/2 kg (1lb) potatoes 1 small onion 1 clove of garlic 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp mustard (mild or hot according to taste) 2 or 3 tbsp light olive or rapeseed oil salt and pepper to taste

INgrEDIENtS

MEtHoD

1 Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized (not male bite-sized!) chunks. 2 steam or simmer them for 1520 minutes until just soft. (I do not like undercooked spuds). 3 drain well. I pop a clean tea towel over them for a few minutes to disperse any liquid, and find it dries them nicely too. 4 Whizz all the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor with (my preferences) a pinch of sugar and any fresh herbs I have. Pour this into a clean jam jar, seal well and place in the fridge. shake well each time before using.

I usually make this the evening before and take the potatoes in a sealed bowl with a little of the dressing added to combine with the potato. the remaining dressing always comes with us, and little ever returns.

810 pieces of chicken 600ml (20 fl oz) milk 250g (81/2 oz) plain flour 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 /2 tsp chilli powder 1 /2 tsp each of chervil, parsley, chives and tarragon 1 /2 tsp celery salt 1 /2 tsp garlic powder 1 level tsp salt black pepper to taste sunflower oil for cooking

Chicken drumsticks
INgrEDIENtS

No picnic is complete without finger licking pieces of cold chicken dont forget the kitchen towels to clean up!

1 medium-sized carrot, grated 1 /2 a fresh white cabbage, very finely chopped into thin strips 1 small onion, diced 4 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tbsp crme fraiche or yoghurt a dash of lemon juice a pinch of mustard powder

Coleslaw
MEtHoD

1 Put the milk in a flat-based dish and add the chilli, cayenne pepper and paprika. leave the drumsticks to marinade in the mixture for at least 5 hours. 2 Heat the oven to 200C (400F, Gas 6). 3 sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the celery salt, garlic, black pepper, and herbs. 4 Coat a baking tray thinly with the oil. 5 remove the drumsticks from the milk, shake off any excess liquid, and roll them in the seasoned flour, ensuring that they are well coated. Put them on the baking tray and place on an upper shelf in the oven. 6 Cook for about 2530 minutes until crispy and golden.

INgrEDIENtS

1 Put the vegetables in a bowl and mix well. 2 Mix the wet ingredients, and beat in the mustard powder. 3 Mix everything together, making sure that all the vegetables are well coated.

It could be argued that the drumsticks and coleslaw are almost one single item, as they go so well together, and what other combination would possibly make the kids eat so much cabbage without a hint of complaint! Now all we need is the weather, and Im afraid thats the one item for which I can provide neither the ingredients nor the method. so just remember the formula: if the next few days are to be glorious prepare well in advance and keep the blankets in the car to lay down in a lovely meadow of your choice. otherwise, keep a stock of white rolls, some good ham, a clean thermos flask or two and a couple of tins of tomato soup. the only other things you will need are a car park overlooking the sea, a car, and the pleasant company of others. Happy eating!

ON THE PLOT
July is a satisfying and productive time for gardeners, but Jayne Neville keeps a watch out for drought, pests and disease, and tells us how to deal with them

July is the month when everything in the garden should be flourishing flower beds full of colour, and the vegetable garden thriving with healthy crops. the hungry gap is now well and truly over! Although what the weather will bring is never certain (we have just experienced the hottest, driest April on record), July can be a hot month, and that will mean providing plenty of water for your plants, and we shall be looking at the best ways of doing this later on in the article. As usual, there is plenty to do, and it is all too easy to get bogged down with a list of jobs, all clamouring for attention. But also try to focus on the things that you have achieved so far take a bit of time out, admire the fruit and vegetables growing on your plot, and give yourself some welldeserved credit.

J ULY
On the Plot in
Runner bean seed (top) French beans (bottom).

SOWING

July isnt too late to fit in some more seed sowing. if youve still got some space on your plot, then get those seed packets at the ready. the warmth of the soil at this time of year will ensure things romp away so long as you keep everything nice and moist and you will be harvesting in double-quick time. salad crops are fast growing and best sown in succession, so you always have a ready supply. sow some lettuces in short rows and they should be ready for picking by september. Other good salad crops to try at this time of year are corn salad, endive, chicory, land cress, oriental leaves, and rocket. Dont forget to put in some more radishes too. Keeping everything well watered will ensure they grow rapidly. swiss chard is a great vegetable that will fill the gap in May/June next year, if sown now and given some protection over the winter. Alternatively, you can pick the young leaves to add to salads if

you want to start eating them sooner. if the weather isnt too hot, you might also like to try sowing some annual spinach, which should start to yield some

Kohl Rabi.

tender, young leaves in the autumn. Make sure they are kept well watered though, as spinach and chard tend to bolt (run to seed) if soil conditions are exceptionally dry. you can make a late sowing of French beans, which will produce some small beans during september. the seeds can be sown outside in pairs approximately 8cm apart in rows, and around 5cm deep. For a crop of baby beetroot in late september through October, sow some seed now. they need to be sown thinly 2cm deep in rows 30cm apart. Kohlrabi is another vegetable that will be ready for harvesting fairly quickly if you sow it now. the swollen stems that form the round edible part are at their most tender when eaten young anyway, and should be ready from early August to mid september.

PLANTING OUT

Many of the plants you have raised under cover can be planted out now for cropping later this year or early next year. if you havent already done so, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, autumn and winter cabbage, kale, autumn/winter/spring heading cauliflowers, leeks and oriental greens can all be planted out, but make sure they are well watered in to help them get established in the great outdoors. the first week or two after planting is the most crucial time for a young plant, but once their roots have started to expand and spread into the garden soil you will see a rapid increase in top growth, and then the critical period is over.

HARVESTING

start picking courgettes and marrows before they get too large. Broad beans should still be yielding if you have

been carrying out some successional sowings. try to pick the beans before the pods get too large and knobbly: this usually means the beans inside will be tough. likewise, peas should be harvested when young and sweet. if you have any surplus then they can be popped in the freezer. early-sown French and runner beans will just be starting to be ready for picking. Onions, shallots and garlic will be ready once their tops turn yellow and bend over. Dont be tempted to pull them up before this happens let them grow for a while longer and they should fatten up even more. Any second early potatoes (varieties such as: Charlotte, Nadine and Kestrel) will be ready for harvesting now. A good indicator as to when the tubers are ready for lifting is when the flowers have finished. you dont have to wait until the plants tops (haulms) have

died down as you do for the maincrop varieties. Annual spinach, turnips, baby beetroots, carrots, calabrese, summer broccoli and summer cabbage are also available for picking, and salad crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce will ensure your salad bowl is never empty.

GENERAL JOBS AROUND THE PLOT

hoe and weed regularly to keep the weeds down. Keep tying tomatoes and cucumbers to their stakes as they grow, and pick off the side-shoots on cordon tomatoes. Pinch out the tops once they reach the top of their supports. Continue to use liquid feed around heavy-cropping plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, marrows, courgettes, etc., to keep them growing on strongly. And remember to water plants where necessary during prolonged dry spells.

10

ON THE PLOT
MIDSUMMER PESTS AND DISEASES

Midsummer heralds a wide range of unwelcome pests and diseases just when your precious crops are ripening, disaster can strike. Keeping vigilant will pay dividends; most things can be either prevented or dealt with before too much damage is done, so dont worry. here are some you may come across:

CAteRPillARs hand picking them off on a regular basis is the most effective (and satisfying!) method. Companion planting your brassica crops closely alongside strong-smelling plants such as rosemary, thyme, mint, sage and chamomile helps to confuse the cabbage white butterflies, which are less likely to detect them. BlACKFly Mostly seen as infestations on broad beans, this pest is very partial to the young tender plant tips. Pick off the tops of the plants as soon as any sign of blackfly is seen.

BOtRytis (GRey MOulD) if your plants have a fuzzy grey mould growth on the buds, leaves, flowers or fruit, then this could be due to this common viral disease. Avoid overwatering and make sure the plants have good air circulation. thinning out plants will help, as will cutting off affected parts of the plant. try spraying with a milk spray milk diluted with nine parts water.

WhiteFly Plant French marigolds next to susceptible plants. the strong scent will ward off these pests. if the infestation is in a greenhouse you could use a yellow sticky trap, but the disadvantage of this is that beneficial insects such as lacewings could also be caught and killed.

APhiDs A major pest of many soft-stemmed plants, the best way to deal with aphid attack is by squashing them in situ on the plants. Alternatively, spray with a dilution of soft soap.

BiRDs Birds can be deterred from eating your crops by using scarers. try threading strips of foil or old CDs strung together between canes across your vegetable beds. Alternatively, use netting to cover the crops if practical. i make tunnels from rolls of chicken wire and position these over individual rows. they are portable and can be used year after year.

tOMAtOes the symptoms on tomatoes are similar to those on potatoes. Brown patches may appear on green fruit, while more mature fruits will decay rapidly.

potatoes is a rapidly spreading brown, watery rot of leaves, which soon collapse. this can also affect the stems. if it is allowed to spread, blight will eventually reach the tubers.

NATURAL WAYS TO CONTROL BLIGHT

BLIGHT

Wire tunnel to protect seedlings.

Potato and tomato blight is an airborne virus caused by a fungus-like organism, which spreads rapidly in the foliage and tubers or fruit of potatoes and tomatoes in wet and humid conditions, causing collapse and decay. it is a serious disease for potatoes and outdoor tomatoes, but not as common on tomatoes grown in greenhouses and polytunnels. Whenever blight has struck in my own polytunnels, it happens later in the year than outside, and luckily most of the tomato crop has already been harvested. POtAtOes the earliest symptom of blight on

Any infected material should be removed, then buried or burned. Dont add it to the compost bin. earthing-up your potatoes will protect the tubers to a certain degree, and the removal of any blight-infected leaves may save the

Tomato blight on leaves.

At this time of year, watering is bound to be one of the most time-consuming things you will have to do in the vegetable garden. leafy vegetables in particular require lots of water right through their growing season to the time they are harvested, and fruiting types like tomatoes, peas, beans and cucumbers need it the most once they are fruiting to enable the fruit to swell. Root vegetables are fairly resistant to the odd dry spell, but a critical time for them is when their roots start enlarging later on. the trouble is that in recent years water has become an increasingly scarce commodity in the summer months we seem to experience long, hot spells with little or no rainfall more and more frequently. there are several ways in which you can conserve or minimise the amount of water you use: WAteR-Butts if possible, invest in a water-butt. sited at the bottom of downpipes, the rainwater that water-butts collect is fantastic for your garden and the environment, being purer and softer than water from the mains supply. A water-butt with a lid prevents the development of diseases and pests too.

tubers from being affected at all, if done in time. First and second early varieties of potato are less likely to suffer from blight anyway, as they will normally be harvested before the blight season starts (normally mid July onwards). Operate a four-year rotation on your plot to reduce the risk of infection. some potato varieties have a degree of resistance to blight: look out for Cara, Kondor, Orla and sarpo. some of the old varieties are very susceptible, e.g. Pink Fir Apple, Arran Pilot, King edward, and Majestic. some varieties of tomato have also been bred to resist blight. One of the more recent is Ferline.

VEG OF THE MONTH : CLIMBING FRENCH BEANS AND RUNNER BEANS

Beans are perfect for a sunny, welldrained spot. They prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil in a sheltered area away from strong winds, but can also be grown successfully in pots. They make great temporary living screens too a practical way of covering an unsightly corner of the garden perhaps, but productive at the same time! Runner beans and French climbing beans will need some sort of support a wigwam made from bamboo canes or more natural-looking hazel or willow sticks can even be constructed in a large container. The beans will twine around the supports themselves so no need for you to tie them in.

11

WATERING INSIDE AND OUT

HOW TO GROW YOUR BEANS

Prepare the soil for planting by digging over and adding plenty of organic material, such as well-rotted manure, compost, or leaf-mould which helps to improve the soils moisture-retaining ability and fertility. Some gardeners dig their bean trench over the winter and fill it with the rotted contents of the compost bin. Once covered with soil in late spring, the seeds can then be sown on top of the trench. If you want to grow your beans in containers, choose pots at least 45cm (18in) in diameter, and make sure there are plenty of drainage holes. Before planting, create supports for climbing French and runner beans. Either make wigwams using 2.4m (8ft) canes tied together with string at the top, or create a parallel row of canes, which can be tightly secured to a horizontal cane at the top. Each row should be 60cm (24in) apart, with canes spaced 15cm (6in) apart in the row.

between the second half of May and the middle of June. Plant a couple of seeds 5cm (2in) deep next to each vertical support and water in well. Once the seeds have germinated and are a few inches tall they should start to twist around the supports themselves. If not, give them a helping hand to start them off.

AFTERCARE

Regular watering is vital. Beans should be watered particularly well, and several times a week in dry weather. It will help enormously to add some mulch around the plants to keep the soil moist. Youll need to harvest the beans regularly every day if possible because if any pods left on the plants are too old, they will stop producing. Cropping can start from July onwards and can continue until the first frosts.

BEAN VARIETIES TO TRY

SOWING

Sowing seeds indoors gives beans a faster and more reliable germination rate, and brings them on just a little bit earlier. Towards the end of April sow one bean seed, 4cm (1 in) deep in a 7.5cm (3in) pot filled with multi-purpose compost. Water well and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate. Seedlings will be ready to plant out after about three weeks. Before planting, put them in a cold frame for a few days so that they can acclimatise to the conditions outside. Dont be tempted to plant them out any earlier than this in case of a late frost. Climbing and runner beans can be grown from seed sown directly in the soil

RUNNER BEANS Painted Lady an old variety introduced in 1855 with a fine flavour and the added bonus of pretty red and white flowers. White Emergo high yielding and white-flowered with smooth pods. Scarlet Emperor a traditional early variety with very good flavour. FRENCH CLIMBING BEANS Blauhilde has beautiful purple pods that turn green when cooked, and is high yielding and stringless. Eva early maturing and can be grown under cover in a greenhouse or polytunnel as well as outside. Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco dualpurpose for using fresh, or the beans can be dried. Attractive red-striped pods and red/white speckled beans.

Water-butt.

12

ON THE PLOT
use MulCh AND DiG iN BulKy ORGANiC MAtteR if possible, mulching around plants (particularly permanent fixtures such as fruit bushes and trees) will help your soil to retain more water, thus reducing the amount of watering you need to do. if you mulch straight after the ground has been given a good soaking, then so much the better. Digging in organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost will increase the water-retaining qualities of your soil, particularly if it is light. WeeDs Keeping your vegetable beds free of weeds will ensure your plants arent competing with them for water. if you have to weed when the weather is really dry, pull them out rather than hoe, as cultivating the soil with a hoe increases moisture evaporation. three years later i invested in another, much larger tunnel (161/2ft x 42ft), and decided that if the tunnels werent going to become a desert or start driving me mad with the constant watering, an irrigation system was just what i needed. Most commercial polytunnels are fitted with them professional growers need a quick and effective method that needs little or no effort. the irrigation is switched on and off automatically, leaving them free to concentrate on other tasks. i use two different systems, one for each polytunnel. An overhead, twin-line system for the 14ft x 25ft tunnel in which im growing early carrots, beetroot, lettuce and oriental leaves this summer, and a drip system with a timer for the larger tunnel that houses my tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Twinline irrigation.

WiNDBReAKs Wind also increases water evaporation; so if your garden is in an exposed spot, try erecting some windbreaks.

INSIDE

if you thought keeping your outside crops well watered through the summer was bad enough, then tending to those vegetables in a greenhouse or polytunnel can be a real nightmare. even well-ventilated structures seem to dry out in the blink of an eye in the heat of midsummer! i got my first polytunnel ten years ago, and used to water the plants inside using a hosepipe with a spray attachment, or for delicate seeds in trays, a watering can. During the summer, i used a seep hose, or porous pipe, to water my tomatoes.

hOsePiPes if you choose to use a hosepipe to water your garden, do so sparingly. Water your garden either first thing or last thing at night and not during the day, when a lot of the water will be lost through evaporation.

OVeRheAD systeM this is the type mainly favoured by the professionals. Basically, it takes the form of pipes, either single-line, which run along the central ridge, or a twin-line, with the pipes fixed along each side of the tunnel. spray nozzles are fitted at regular intervals along the pipes. its useful to note before you buy that you need a minimum of 21p.s.i. water pressure to use this system effectively. the kit consists of ten lengths of heavy-duty PVC pipe, ten spray nozzles, end caps, joints and brass connections, so the system can be linked up to a standard 1/2in hosepipe. All in all, a no-nonsense system which does what it should delivering a good quantity of water in a short space of time. its ideal for getting water to established plants in your polytunnel beds, and for raising humidity levels if required. the system works best in greenhouses and polytunnels with good ventilation, which will avoid excess condensation in hot weather. MiCRO-DRiP systeM this is the system i have installed in my largest polytunnel, as i needed something versatile. the main occupants are tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, but with its thermal cover, this tunnel also doubles up as the place i sow all my vegetable seeds, in modules and seed trays (on the floor, on benches anywhere i can squeeze them in!), so the watering system needs to be able to deal with delicate seedlings as well as thirsty tomatoes and cucumbers. Consisting of a 15m supply pipe, a 10m irrigation pipe, ten large drip nozzles/connectors, twenty smaller adjustable drip nozzles, the Gardena

micro-drip system i have can be tailor-made to various requirements quite easily. it has proved ideal for the spot watering of larger individual plants and those in pots. For my seed trays there are misting nozzles, and spray nozzles that can be purchased separately and fitted onto the existing tubes. All the components can be bought individually, so if at a later date you need to change or add something to your system, you can do so. Another important item in the starter kit is the water timer: great for when you cant be at home during the day in hot weather, and for when you go on holiday. Fitted between your outside tap and hose connection, the timer has fourteen different watering programs and also allows you to operate the system manually. each of the adjustable drippers can be set to deliver varying quantities of water to exactly where the moisture is needed so no wastage..

Greenhouse & tunnel tips

Drip irrigation.

* Choose the system best suited to your growing requirements, i.e. size of structure, crop types, and where grown (in the soil, on benches, seed trays, etc.). * Check the water pressure is ok for your proposed system. * Be prepared to adapt existing fittings/devise your own to attach irrigation to your structure. * Are the spray nozzles adjustable for more delicate plants? * Is a timer necessary, and if so, does it offer the watering options you need? * Is the system versatile enough to adapt to your future watering needs? * Are spare parts easily available?

82

SMOKER PROJECT
Andrew Lake recycled a filing cabinet and turned it into an effective and compact cold smoker. here he shows you how to make your own

SMOKER
This projecT combines two areas of self-sufficiency that are close to my heart: make-do-and-mend, and producing food that we have been led to believe can only be bought in a shop. it involves converting an old four-drawer filing cabinet id rescued from a skip a couple of years ago into a cold smoker. it had been stored in the loft (think lengths of rope and a supportive spouse to get it up there!). Then i came across the idea of a filing cabinet smoker on an internet forum and thought i could improve on it. so, with the assistance of yet more lengths of rope and a now very reluctant spouse (think cabinet of Damocles and youll understand the reluctance!), it re-emerged to be converted into something more useful. in the spirit of sharing, here is the tale of what i did.

Making a Backyard

if the smoking finishes while im not around. sparing absolutely no expense, i cut the bottom off a clay plant pot (with an angle grinder), and got the metal sieve from a 99p shop (it balances better if you break the handle off!). The plant pot is glued in place with a two-part epoxy adhesive (four tubes for just 99p) and covers a circular hole cut into the top of the cabinet. To make the hole you need a drill to create a pilot hole, then either a powered jigsaw or a manual padsaw to cut out the circle. either way, the metal sheet in a filing cabinet is not very thick and you should be able to cut through quite easily, but it can be quite noisy, so you may wish to use ear defenders.

Above is my smoker, carefully camouflaged in the shed. The reason for showing this is that you will need to think about storage and where you want to do your smoking. if you leave it outside you will certainly need some sort of cover, and if you want to protect it inside you will need to move it. i fitted some original shepherd ball castors (above right) that my father had taken

off an old sofa. i knew they would come in useful for something, but, having not supported anything for over fifty years, i was beginning to wonder! so, here it is, more or less in position for use. more observant readers may already have spotted a couple of items of sophistication. on top is my chimney pot, complete with stainless steel mesh guard to keep out any unwelcome guests

Working from the bottom up, taking out the bottom drawer you can see i have cut a hole in the base of the smoker to allow air to get in (above). The drawers shut quite tightly and i was concerned that there wouldnt be enough oxygen to keep the wood shavings smouldering for eight hours. The next drawer up has a series of holes drilled into it (top right). This allows the smoke to percolate up through it, whilst catching any drips that might ooze out of the bacon, fish, etc., and cause the shavings to flare up. As you can see, after hours of use the interior walls do get tarry deposits on them. ive never washed them off as i see

83

it as a badge of honour, but you may be more fastidious than me. it certainly isnt a hygiene issue if anything, it acts as a disinfectant.

i hang hooks from the bars to suspend bacon, sausage and fresh brined fish. if the fish has been in the freezer, the flesh is weaker and likely to tear off the hook, so i lay them on a wire basket (which came out of an old freezer), which fits on the second shelf. Also pictured is a stainless steel steamer (from a charity shop) that is useful for holding cheese etc.

Apparently, egg boxes contain alum, which is a fire retardant, so the boxes keep the sawdust smouldering but dont catch fire. This is important, as we are cold smoking not cooking. An additional layer of sawdust is then added. if the sawdust is too dry, its a good idea to spray it with a little water.

The top two drawers have the back and base cut out. This provides a front seal, and a hanging space for whatever you are smoking. The easiest way to cut the metal is with an angle grinder (or jigsaw if you dont have one), but you should wear suitable eye protection and ear defenders. i had a scrapped rotary washing line that i recovered from another skip, and this provided the stainless steel rods that run from the front to the back of the smoker, just below the chimney (pictured below). They are held in place using the two-part epoxy glue.

so, that is the basic smoker. i use oak sawdust and shavings that a friend gets from an oak-gate manufacturer. my original technique was to put a layer of sawdust in the bottom drawer (its helpful if you can train your chickens to open it for you!) followed by a layer of crushed egg boxes (see below). This tip came from a butcher who had his own smoker.

start the burn in one corner a blowtorch is useful because the egg boxes can take a while to start smouldering, but once away they will usually keep the sawdust smoking until it is all used up.

The burning edge spreads across unchecked until all of the shavings are used up over a period of four or five hours. it means that a small amount of smoke is generated at the beginning, but much more is produced about halfway through as the smouldering edge spreads across the whole base.

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SMOKER PROJECT

in the bottom there are two grooves that allow a separator to slide back and forth. This gave me an idea that, if i could put a barrier down the centre, i could force the shavings to burn up one side, across the top, and then back again. i discovered that some old plaster coving i had was ideal. it fits snugly into the groove and is non-flammable.

Cured bacon dried overnight ready for smoking.

The finished article.

The direction of the burn now goes like this.

so now youve got your smoker, it might be best to start off with something simple like supermarket sausages or cheese, but once you realise how simple it is to get delicious results, you may be inspired to experiment. As well as different types of foods, you can also have a go at making your own bacon and then smoking it. For the food connoisseur this opens up possibilities of different recipes for brines and dry cures. And thats before you even start on the subtle fragrances you get from various wood types. ive successfully smoked bacon, sausage, parma-type ham, cheese, fish and salt blame heston blumenthal for the salt, but it really works and you can use it to add a smoky flavour to anything you put salt into! only once did i have a problem with overheating, when i hadnt dampened the sawdust properly and before i thought of the base separator. it then acted more like a hot smoker, and the cheese started to melt. if you can imagine smoky cheese strings you will get the idea! The great thing about smoking is that you add value to your produce, enhancing the flavour and preserving it at the same time. if youve been put off by the cost of a commercial smoker, this might just encourage you to give it a go. And you dont have to live on a smallholding to do it!

Further info

not only does it give a constant amount of smoke, but also the length of time is greatly extended.

Smoking has been used since before the Middle Ages to preserve fish and meat. The rapid growth of a distribution network around the 1840s enabled the transportation of perishables, and heavy salting and smoking fell out of fashion. Smoked products have become a traditional way of increasing flavour and texture and reducing the use of salt as a condiment. Hot smoking both cooks and smokes in one go at a temperature between 80C and 120C. Cold smoking adds flavour (from phenolic compounds in lignin), and preserves food (antioxidants stop fat going rancid and antimicrobial compounds slow down bug growth) and is carried out at around 1525C. Traditional farm hamhouses/ smokehouses were windowless, wood-frame buildings about three metres square with a dirt floor. You can now buy sophisticated smokers fed with wooden briquettes, but they all work using the same principal ingredient wood smoke. Most hardwood shavings or sawdust can be used for smoking, with particular favourites being oak, apple, cherry and beech. Hickory is very popular in the USA. It is best to avoid pine and other resinous woods just think retsina and youll understand why!

COMPETITION

WIN
A ThREE-NIghT LONg WEEkEND, OR fOUR WEEkDAY NIghTS AT WIThYfIELD COTTAgE COURTESY Of MERRION fARM IS UP fOR gRAbS !
Located on a working dairy farm on the edge of the New South Downs National Park, this unique, new, roundwood timber, straw bale and cedar shingle holiday cottage is available for hire. Inspired and built by Ben Law and his team (as seen on Channel 4s Grand Designs), the cottage is comfortably furnished, well equipped and sleeps six in comfort.

A fANTASTIC bREAk WORTh UP TO 550

READ hE fULL N T O ARTICLE IELD Yf WITh gE COTTA ON P89

85

ThE COTTAgE INCLUDES :

An open-plan living area; 3 bedrooms (1 double and 2 doubles or twins (with zip and link beds)); 1 bathroom and 1 en suite; a wood-burner (with wood supply); a well-equipped kitchen with electric cooker, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, microwave and washing machine; ample parking; a veranda and deck; BBQ; an enclosed private meadow and woodland campfire area; a wheelchair-friendly environment; linen and towels; TV and DVD; Wi-Fi; mobile reception; cot and highchair available; a visitor welcome

TO ENTER

All you need to do is to match the photographs below with the pages they come from. Simples! Complete the competition entry and

pack; a dog kennel and run available, and fishing by arrangement. To give all entrants the best opportunity of enjoying this fantastic prize, the time of stay is for you to arrange with the Griffiths family. Details will be supplied when contacting the successful applicant in July.

ENTRIES TO bE RECEIVED bY: 10Th JULY 2011

For further information on booking the cottage please visit: www.withycottage. co.uk or telephone: 01403 711544.

mark your envelope: Whithyfield Cottage Competition, then post to: Home Farmer Magazine, The Good Life Press Ltd., The Old Pigsties, Clifton Fields, Lytham Road, Clifton, Preston, PR4 0XG. You can also enter the competition online: www.homefarmer.co.uk/competition.

JULY 2011 COMPETITION

YOUR DETAILS
Name: .................................................................................................................... Address: ............................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... Tel: ............................................................................................................................ Email: ......................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
Picture one from page number: ........................................................... Picture two from page number: .......................................................... Picture three from page number: ....................................................... Picture four from page number: ..........................................................

86

DIY PROJECT

A ThREE-TIER PlAnTER

Over the last few years Ive been downsizing in a big way. starting life with a thirty-acre smallholding with woods and stuff, I decamped, ten years ago, to a plot with a quarter-acre vegetable garden, and now Im down to a decent-sized strip overlooking the cricket ground, a lot of which is lawn. Unfortunately, we both love flowers, so the runners are now having to put up with living cheek by jowl with the clematis, and the lettuces are learning, perforce, to rub shoulders with busy lizzies as near-neighbours but hey! thats modern life in an overcrowded world. the trouble was, the living to be had off thirty acres was always going to be meagre, so we had to take in guests to pay the bills, which meant that what I went there to do to start with that is, run the farm always had to take second place to what the late John seymour used to refer to as money-grubbing which rather defeated the object! Now, after a fairly major hip operation, Ive had to rethink things again. Done is the heavy digging, and done is the prodigal use of land, because its now in seriously short supply. so, lets go no-dig and lets go onwards and upwards, piling vegetable beds up into the sky, one on top of the other! By this I mean raised beds or

stephen Chilcott has had to make the most of limited space, and here he shares with us his plans for a three-tier planter. If towns have shot skywards, then so too can gardens...
planters in tiers, releasing further vital space at ground level. Planters filled with loose, friable earth, packed with nutritious compost should mean that roots plunge downwards and plants can be packed in close together for good weed-suppression and mutual support. to be truthful, it wasnt all my idea. a recent trip to the inspirational ryton Gardens near Coventry, former home of the henry Doubleday research association as was gave me the germ of an idea; and I took the piccies, taken there clandestinely, to my old friend richard at the Fencing Centre in Colaton raleigh, and asked him for his thoughts. the next time we met true to form he had a fully-priced-up blueprint sketched out on the back of a sheet of used copier paper, and, once again, the old firm was back in business! I have some vigorous broad bean plants rapidly pot-binding themselves in a delicious mix of peat-free compost and the crumbly produce of my alarmingly hyperactive wormery, so lets give the design a go!

Frame 3 x 3.6m lengths @ 22mm x 100mm 2.43 each = 7.29 COrNer BraCes FOr PlaNters We shall contact stephen to see if we need details here! POINteD PeGs 4 x 1.2m lengths @ 31mm x 31mm 36p each = 1.44 half a box (approx) of superdrive screws: 4mm x 45mm (200 in a box costing 3.24) = 1.62 TOTAL COST: 29.07

Plus, an outrageous 5.81 vat (OFF with their heads, I say!), which you should really be reclaiming if you have a pukka smallholding (all farmers do).

OVERAll DIMEnSIOnS :
height: 1,650mm Dimension of planters: 940mm x 600mm x 300mm Gap between planters: 240mm Footprint: 1,250mm x 1,000mm

ESSEnTIAl InGREDIEnTS

(all tanalised timber): PlaNters (Green Gravel Board) 9 x 1.83m lengths @ 22mm x 150mm 2.08 each = 18.72

thanks, once again, to the helpful staff, and to richard in particular, at the Fencing Centre, Colaton raleigh, sidmouth, Devon for help and for assistance at the design stage. Now, if youll excuse me, I have some broad beans that need my immediate attention!

BUIlDInG YOUR 3-TIER PlAnTER

87

The kit.

Fail to plan and you plan to fail...

Material evidence.

Measuring up accurately.

First fixings.

The planters start to take shape.

Corner reinforcements.

Onwards and upwards.

Squaring things up.

Things squared off.

Now lets see how all this fits together.

Quite nicely all things considered.

88

DIY PROJECT

BUIlDInG YOUR 3-TIER PlAnTER

Looks OK below decks.

Up she goes...

And upstairs too!

Yup, its going to be OK.

The framework.

All taking shape nicely...

Next month
Stephen makes a cold frame...

86

DIY PROJECT

A ThREE-TIER PlAnTER

Over the last few years Ive been downsizing in a big way. starting life with a thirty-acre smallholding with woods and stuff, I decamped, ten years ago, to a plot with a quarter-acre vegetable garden, and now Im down to a decent-sized strip overlooking the cricket ground, a lot of which is lawn. Unfortunately, we both love flowers, so the runners are now having to put up with living cheek by jowl with the clematis, and the lettuces are learning, perforce, to rub shoulders with busy lizzies as near-neighbours but hey! thats modern life in an overcrowded world. the trouble was, the living to be had off thirty acres was always going to be meagre, so we had to take in guests to pay the bills, which meant that what I went there to do to start with that is, run the farm always had to take second place to what the late John seymour used to refer to as money-grubbing which rather defeated the object! Now, after a fairly major hip operation, Ive had to rethink things again. Done is the heavy digging, and done is the prodigal use of land, because its now in seriously short supply. so, lets go no-dig and lets go onwards and upwards, piling vegetable beds up into the sky, one on top of the other! By this I mean raised beds or

stephen Chilcott has had to make the most of limited space, and here he shares with us his plans for a three-tier planter. If towns have shot skywards, then so too can gardens...
planters in tiers, releasing further vital space at ground level. Planters filled with loose, friable earth, packed with nutritious compost should mean that roots plunge downwards and plants can be packed in close together for good weed-suppression and mutual support. to be truthful, it wasnt all my idea. a recent trip to the inspirational ryton Gardens near Coventry, former home of the henry Doubleday research association as was gave me the germ of an idea; and I took the piccies, taken there clandestinely, to my old friend richard at the Fencing Centre in Colaton raleigh, and asked him for his thoughts. the next time we met true to form he had a fully-priced-up blueprint sketched out on the back of a sheet of used copier paper, and, once again, the old firm was back in business! I have some vigorous broad bean plants rapidly pot-binding themselves in a delicious mix of peat-free compost and the crumbly produce of my alarmingly hyperactive wormery, so lets give the design a go!

Frame 3 x 3.6m lengths @ 22mm x 100mm 2.43 each = 7.29 COrNer BraCes FOr PlaNters We shall contact stephen to see if we need details here! POINteD PeGs 4 x 1.2m lengths @ 31mm x 31mm 36p each = 1.44 half a box (approx) of superdrive screws: 4mm x 45mm (200 in a box costing 3.24) = 1.62 TOTAL COST: 29.07

Plus, an outrageous 5.81p vat (OFF with their heads, I say!), which you should really be reclaiming if you have a pukka smallholding (all farmers do).

OVERAll DIMEnSIOnS :
height: 1,650mm Dimension of planters: 940mm x 600mm x 300mm Gap between planters: 240mm Footprint: 1,250mm x 1,000mm

ESSEnTIAl InGREDIEnTS

(all tanalised timber): PlaNters (Green Gravel Board) 9 x 1.83m lengths @ 22mm x 150mm 2.08p each = 18.72

thanks, once again, to the helpful staff, and to richard in particular, at the Fencing Centre, Colaton raleigh, sidmouth, Devon for help and for assistance at the design stage. Now, if youll excuse me, I have some broad beans that need my immediate attention!

BUIlDInG YOUR 3-TIER PlAnTER

87

The kit.

Fail to plan and you plan to fail...

Material evidence.

Measuring up accurately.

First fixings.

The planters start to take shape.

Corner reinforcements.

Onwards and upwards.

Squaring things up.

Things squared off.

Now lets see how all this fits together.

Quite nicely all things considered.

88

DIY PROJECT

BUIlDInG YOUR 3-TIER PlAnTER

Looks OK below decks.

Up she goes...

And upstairs too!

Yup, its going to be ok.

The framework.

All taking shape nicely...

Next month
Steve makes a cold frame...

BUILDING AN ECO-COTTAGE

GrAND DEsIGNs
WIN

89

Many farMs are today faced with a dilemma. In order to remain profitable it is no longer enough to simply provide food for the nation, as that now comes from all five continents. The new dilemma therefore becomes how to replace this income with something appropriate and contemporary. We are no exception here at Merrion farm at Bines Green in the heart of the adur Valley on the edge of the new south Downs national Park, where three generations of the Griffiths family have farmed 160 acres of grassland since 1925. The farm is a dairy farm with a stock of about 100 cows and, like many other farms, is a real family affair. Like many people (apparently including Kevin McCloud, who is on

One farm on the edge of the new south Downs national Park has found a unique way of diversifying their business with the help of Ben Law. Janice Griffiths explains
record as describing it as his favourite ever) we were bowled over by Ben Laws building of a woodland home in Prickly nut Wood in West sussex on Channel 4s Grand Designs, and when we learnt that he had started The roundwood Timber framing Company together with a team of gifted traditional craftsmen, the opportunity just seemed too good to ignore. so we contacted Ben and put forward some proposals. Many farms have diversified by taking in guests, some by simply providing land on which to park caravans or pitch tents, and others by building accommodation. We opted for the latter, but decided that the project would have to be in line with our own view of building practices and their impact on the local environment.

3 NIGhTs AT whIThyfIELD COTTAGE sEE p85

It was not only the finished project that would be of value, but also the challenge of the project itself and the experience it could provide for others. Ben Law had a policy of bringing in volunteers to learn, and the project was designed to train a number of volunteers and spread the knowledge of traditional building techniques, which ironically may end up in the future out-surviving many of the hi-tech systems that have come and gone so quickly over the last century or so. Of course issues of planning consent will always be of concern for anyone looking to build in the countryside, but the fact that the site had already been occupied by chicken housing was seen as an advantage when making the original planning applications to the

90

BUILDING AN ECO-COTTAGE

Parish Council. We took on the services of an architect, which added further credibility to the proposed development, and the fact that the neighbours welcomed the project meant that there was really no opposition to the scheme, not even the seemingly obligatory request to reduce the height by two inches and the overall length by six. We also sought out the prospect of grants and learnt that there was assistance available, although getting it was by no means easy. In the end we did manage to secure financial assistance, so it is definitely worth devising a well thought out plan together with costings and any benefits you feel the project might bring to the local economy or environment. There is money out there and it is worth the effort, especially if getting it is the deciding factor as to whether your project will ever become a reality. Our original applications were made in January 2010 and the construction itself began in september of that year. The building process continued through the winter and through some of

the most severe weather in recent times, as the picture of the building covered in a thick layer of snow confirms. The final stages are only now being completed in the summer of 2011, with plastering and painting jobs and many other cosmetic touches to make it the perfect holiday home being done by ourselves. The only downside was when our nephew learnt it was going to be a holiday home, then had to be told gently that it was not for our familys own holidays but for paying guests. all the wood used has been grown in West sussex, with much of it coming from the nearby Cowdray estate, and the exterior cladding and the boards on the verandah are made from oak from our very own farm. all the trees were replaced, and we can sit on the deck gazing on the very wood it came from. The clay plaster render used to seal all the gaps on the outside is made from Weald clay taken from the foundations, and the straw for the insulation has come from a nearby arable farm. The openplan living area has a wood-burner set

on a slab of local Horsham stone and uses seasoned logs from our own farm to provide heat and hot water. The roof is made of cedar shingles and is set with four large solar panels, which provide most of the hot water, with the woodburner serving for most of the year as a backup. even the chandelier was forged by our own local blacksmith, and the stairs were made by local craftsmen too. Withyfield has been designed to be light and airy, and has large windows, roof lights, and a Gothic-style window, which beautifully frames a mature oak in the field beyond. The cottage is centred around a spectacular a-frame construction made of Douglas fir. you may well remember the point in the Grand Designs programme when Ben erected his own a-frames in a leisurely manner with a group of friends, at the time armed more with enthusiasm rather than a thorough knowledge of traditional building techniques. Things have, however, moved on, and in the case of Withyfield the raising of the a-frame proved to be a major highlight for

91

everyone involved and was attended by about eighty people, despite the rather less than perfect weather on the day. The whole project has been so different from our normal routine and has been consistently enjoyable throughout. To put the finishing touches to the project, a wild flower meadow is planned around the cottage in the near future and we have just completed a chicken house in the same style as the cottage. a Ben Law chicken house might be a very worthwhile venture for a handy home farmer.

Even the chicken house has had a Grand Design makeover.

further Info
To keep up to date with how Janice and family are progressing with withyfield Cottage or to book a break in the cottage please visit www.withfieldcottage.co.uk 01403711544

92

WILD FOOD WALKS

andy hamilton checks out free food north of the border and realises that ancient graveyards are a treasure trove of free food for the braver forager

AnDyS
With its abundance of green spaces, edinburghs wild food larder is pretty impressive. to start my forage i got a train, which pulled into edinburgh Waverley station; one thing struck me about this southern/northern town (southern for the scots and northern for the english), it could be renamed rosebay willow town for the amount of this herb scattered all over the city. Rosebay willow herbs seeds are distributed by the wind, and, as trains supply a regular amount of the stuff, the seeds are blown from here to Penzance. a quick trip up the scott Monument also reaffirms the notion that even without trains edinburgh has more than its fair share of wind, thus further spreading this plants seed. the dried leaves of rosebay willow herb can be used as a tobacco substitute, causing stupefying effects. im not certain if this happens because of slight carbon monoxide poisoning, just as when you feel dizzy if you smoke a cigarette after some time, or if a more active ingredient is at work.

Wild Food Walks

due to the high levels of tannin in the leaves of RbWh it makes a great tea, and one that is supposed to help asthmatics. unlike most herb teas/infusions it is agreeable with milk and sugar. the leaves should be plucked off the plant and dried in the sun or on a very low heat in the oven over some time. i also like to tie up bundles of the leaves and leave clumps of them hanging from my banisters to dry them. they can then be crushed and

Left: Rosebay Willow Herb.

used as normal tea leaves. as ben hardy the home Farmer wine guru might be aware, a cold cup of this tea can add tannin to home-made wines (and if he didnt he does now). Young shoots of rosebay willow herb can also be cooked, but ill save that for next spring. Right now the flowers are useful add to salads or use to add colour to cocktails and other drinks. OK, i like rosebay willow herb but ive talked about it enough! Off to wandering into one of edinburghs graveyards. its here that i contemplate the fate of Robert Fergusson. Robert Fergusson is a great but forgotten

93

poet, thought to be the inspiration for Rabbie burns to write in his native scots instead of the language of his oppressors the english. i thought about him as i munched into some freshly picked cherries growing from a tree whose roots appeared to be growing into the area of Roberts grave. an idle thought made me wonder if i could absorb at least part of his genius without ending up in the same place

he did, the old darien house (mental asylum). staying with a slightly morbid theme, it is certainly noteworthy that graveyards are some of the best places to forage for wild foods, and generally the older the better. Older graveyards are established wildlife havens, and when the graves are of people long since dead they tend to be empty of the grieving living. unlike parks and other

public areas they are often unmanaged, and this combination can mean great hordes of wild food left without harvest. in just a brief walk around one of the more famous graveyards i found rosemary, a plant i love to mention all the time; yes, its a Mediterranean plant, generally planted, but there are great swathes of it all over most towns and cities, yet we never harvest it and instead have it flown in and packed into tiny plastic packets. Lime trees (Tilia L.) also adorn graveyards, often around the perimeter. Most would agree that its too late in the season for lime leaves, but with the central stem taken out they can be used in strips, fried. i like them in a simple stir-fry. i leave edinburgh before the madness of the festival hits town. the long train journey back south is another pleasure, albeit a frustrating one, as there is so much food that i can see out of the window, whilst all that is on offer are plastic sandwiches and tiny, overpriced biscuits. Perhaps Robert Fergusson is having the last laugh at the english after all!
Below: Rosemary.

94

SCENES FROM THE HOME FARM

Chas Griffin muses, and amuses, on building a bird box

CARRy ON BiRd BOxiNg

I had a plan off the Internet. I had a hammer and a box of screws. I had a saw. and I had an old sheet of plywood, somewhere in the rarely-visited Old Woodshed. What more did I need? access is what. Brambles, you see. Lots and lots of rolling brambles interspersed with thickets of nettles. It took the best part of the morning, hauling and slashing, but eventually I forced my way up to and through the final huge clump of Japanese knotweed that definitely hadnt been there five years ago, reached the shed, and there, beyond the rough mound of planks, shelves and boards assorted, rescued from a gutted gents outfitters long ago there was the dimly-remembered sheet of plywood. Not 8ft x 4ft, as expected, but 7ft 6in x 3ft 8in, and with a definite slope to one side. also, three random 1in holes, and coated in dust, dappled with whitewash, and flocked with hay. hmm. It took an hour to scrub and scrape it fairly clean, and to haul it out. Then another ten minutes to examine it carefully for hidden nails, unsquare corners, rot, warps, and delaminations (Ive been caught out before, you see) and we were off. after some very, very careful measuring and re-re-measuring we were ready to rip: not one bird box, but NINE! My saw was an old one-trip job, left behind by a builder years before, and rather blunt, even after sanding down and wiping with olive oil. So I had to use my brand-new 1 Chinese model. Brilliantly sharp. Fantastic. I ripped away

at four times the speed, confident in my own ability to cut a straight line. I was halfway through the first long cut before I realised that the saw was a wrong un. It simply would not cut straight. It veered constantly to the right, aiming to cut itself a long, slow curve the size of a dining table. Whats more, it cut at a twenty-degree tilt to the vertical. I chucked it aside with what might well have been a Chinese oath, and tried using an old electric sabre/jigsaw, but gave it up almost instantly when I realised it had been carefully designed so that you could not actually see where and what the blade was cutting. a masterpiece of stupid design. My old friend the bowsaw was no use on long cuts, because the bow quickly got in the way. So I had no practical alternative, and just had to labour on, heaving the Revenge of the Boxers desperately downwards and to the left with every laborious stroke. It was frankly quite exhausting work, and must have looked ridiculous. But it was finally done: nine rectangular slabs, all carefully marked and measured, and each destined to produce the six component parts of a bird box. and there were enough offcuts for a couple more. Success. Time for two cups of tea, and then time to saw out all the components. By now I had worked out how to solve the

sawing problem. I would use a bowsaw, which is wonderful for short lengths. all I needed was to get each cut started with my old blunt saw; and to get the notch started with a Stanley knife so the old saw would engage. hmm It took ages, but finally I had nine little stacks of sides and roofs, etc., all duly labelled with black marker: B for base, S for side, B for back, etc. Wait a minute. Is this a B for back, or base? ah change it to R for rear. Easy. Now then, wheres that R for roof piece? It took me a long time to realise that I had measured, marked and cut every single roof panel three centimetres too short. I tried blaming the plan, of course, but actually it was all my own

95

Scenes from a Vegetable Plot

My saw was an old one-trip job, left behind by a builder years before, and rather blunt, even after sanding down and wiping with olive oil

fault. Id somehow managed to add up three numbers wrongly. and Id checked it at least four times, which is what hurt. anyway so instead of overlapping chalet-style lids, my boxes would have flush, Georgian-style roofs. Leaky, Georgian-style Oh why didnt I check five times instead of merely four? Then anne reminded me that we had a long roll of vinyl offcut from the new bathroom floor. Perfect. Each box would have a gaily coloured and trimmed beach house awning. Yippee! almost there. Everything else went as expected: i.e. I couldnt find the drill bits, or the long ruler, or the brand-new drill; the drill needed charging and I couldnt understand the instructions; the glue didnt work; the angled Chinese edges needed chamfering straight with a Surform, which skinned two knuckles, as ever; the adjustable hole-cutting bit was too small, and anyway I couldnt find the brace; the plan was in centimetres, and the drill bit was in sixteenths of an inch; I couldnt find the workmate; etc, etc. But only twice did I have to knock a

joint apart when Id nailed one side piece on the wrong way round, so the fall of the roof went in two contradictory directions. Oh, we did laugh. Well, one of us did. however we now have a dozen bird boxes, no less, all double-coated with fence paint, and with holes that my plan assures me will attract blue tits, great tits, and nuthatches. Ive also made a slightly bigger one for guillemots. Watch this space.

if you enjoy Chas griffins musings you will love his new book published by The good Life Press: Scenes from a Vegetable Plot. Chas griffin gets down and mucky in the vegetable plot to enthuse and share with anyone who doesnt know a table knife from a garden fork the delights of growing organic veg because now that heightened sensibility has taken peacock off the menu, nothing satisfies the old hunter-gatherer in us better than a hatful of zinging-fresh peas. With so many vegetable books on the market written by any old celebrity who has been within spitting distance of a nettle, this one is refreshingly different in fact you might call it the antidote to gardening books. its a supremely practical book, but Chas takes it to a new level by making it a damn funny book as well which you can read sipping your cocoa at night or alongside your seed catalogues in the potting shed or in the bath. Either way, this book is unlike any other of the zillions of veg growing books in that it is written for absolute beginners and old hands alike, and positively encourages originality, creativity and inventive solutions and approaches. Whether youre already a gardener or not, Chass book will be like the clouds parting to inspire you: a revelation taking you, no, pushing you along with his gusto and enthusiasm out of your back door and into the garden because, quite frankly, growing veg is a lot of fun and so easy that any fool can do it, as i have proved, he says. Scenes from A Vegetable Plot by Chas griffin Paperback with specially commissioned cartoons 224 pages 12.99 Available from The good Life Press bookshop (www.goodlifepress. co.uk) at a special price of 9.99.

WHITE RHEA Young stock and eggs for hatching or arts and crafts. Can be seen near Totnes, Devon. Please tel: 01752 360011. SUNNYSIDE POULTRY Tel: 07798584798, Nr Burton-on-Trent. Hybrid Pullets 16-20 weeks old POL. Bluebelle, Amber, White Star, Black Star, Speckledy, Pied,Copper Black,Columbine,Coral. Poultry Keeping courses available. www.sunnyside poultry.co.uk STARLIgHT SILkIES 0772 2438723 Bournemouth, Dorset, Blue Black, good quality. Hatching eggs posted.

96

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98

NEXT MONTH

In the Sizzling August Issue

Will it Freeze?
As produce ripens on the plot over the next three months, Piers Warren explores different methods for storage, starting with the deep freezer. Elizabeth McCorquodale helps us get ready for the inevitable green tomato glut, with recipes for pickled, fried, baked and even marmalade (yes, marmalade).

AUGU ST I ON SA SSUE L JULY 1STE

SHOPS

IN TH E

The Big Green Tom Weekend DIY makes This month Stephen Chilcott
a cold frame.

The Dyers Garden

Clare Boley describes what plants to plant to achieve beautiful, natural colours.

Fancy Keeping Quail? Homer Farmer does Posh

In the final part of his series on stocking his farm, Mike Rutland considers keeping quail. Impress with these wickedly moreish but impressive Parisian macarons.

Homer Farmer does Posh Plus...

Impress with these wickedly moreish but impressive Parisian macarons.

Perpetual Salads

Quick, its not too late to plant some perpetual lettuce to put on your BBQ burgers, writes Elisabeth Arter. 10 packs of best-selling flower seeds and a DVD worth 34.99 for every reader (just pay 2.99 P&P).

Remember to ask your newsagent to reserve your copy. To find your nearest stockist go online to: http://homefarmer .co.uk/subscribe/find-retailer/

Plus...

All our regular features for anyone who likes to grow it, cook it, raise it or build it. Home Farmer is always the perfect companion for anyone living the good life whether they live in the city or the country.